Phage Morons Play an Important Role in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phenotypes.

ABSTRACT: The viruses that infect bacteria, known as phages, play a critical role in controlling bacterial populations in many diverse environments, including the human body. This control stems not only from phages killing bacteria but also from the formation of lysogens. In this state, the phage replication cycle is suppressed, and the phage genome is maintained in the bacterial cell in a form known as a prophage. Prophages often carry genes that benefit the host bacterial cell, since increasing the survival of the host cell by extension also increases the fitness of the prophage. These highly diverse and beneficial phage genes, which are not required for the life cycle of the phage itself, have been referred to as "morons," as their presence adds "more on" the phage genome in which they are found.

SUBMITTER: Tsao YF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6199475 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature