Phenotypic and genotypic variations within a single bacteriophage species.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although horizontal gene transfer plays a pivotal role in bacteriophage evolution, many lytic phage genomes are clearly shaped by vertical evolution. We investigated the influence of minor genomic deletions and insertions on various phage-related phenotypic and serological properties.

Findings

We collected ten different isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage ϕKMV. All sequenced genomes (42-43 kb, long direct terminal repeats) are nearly identical, which intuitively implied strongly similar infections cycles. However, their latent periods vary between 21 and 28 minutes and they are able to lyse between 5 and 58% of a collection of 107 clinical P. aeruginosa strains. We also noted that phages with identical tail structures displayed profound differences in

SUBMITTER: Ceyssens PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3072928 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature