Sak and Sak4 recombinases are required for bacteriophage replication in Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: DNA-single strand annealing proteins (SSAPs) are recombinases frequently encoded in the genome of many bacteriophages. As SSAPs can promote homologous recombination among DNA substrates with an important degree of divergence, these enzymes are involved both in DNA repair and in the generation of phage mosaicisms. Here, analysing Sak and Sak4 as representatives of two different families of SSAPs present in phages infecting the clinically relevant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, we demonstrate for the first time that these enzymes are absolutely required for phage reproduction. Deletion of the genes encoding these enzymes significantly reduced phage replication and the generation of infectious particles. Complementation studies revealed that these enzymes are required both in the donor (aft

SUBMITTER: Neamah MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5499656 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature