Differential codon adaptation between dsDNA and ssDNA phages in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Because phages use their host translation machinery, their codon usage should evolve toward that of highly expressed host genes. We used two indices to measure codon adaptation of phages to their host, rRSCU (the correlation in relative synonymous codon usage [RSCU] between phages and their host) and Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) computed with highly expressed host genes as the reference set (because phage translation depends on host translation machinery). These indices used for this purpose are appropriate only when hosts exhibit little mutation bias, so only phages parasitizing Escherichia coli were included in the analysis. For double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) phages, both r(RSCU) and CAI decrease with increasing number of transfer RNA genes encoded by the phage genome. r(RSCU) is greater fo

SUBMITTER: Chithambaram S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4032129 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature