Genomic and ecological attributes of marine bacteriophages encoding bacterial virulence genes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bacteriophages encode genes that modify bacterial functions during infection. The acquisition of phage-encoded virulence genes is a major mechanism for the rise of bacterial pathogens. In coral reefs, high bacterial density and lysogeny has been proposed to exacerbate reef decline through the transfer of phage-encoded virulence genes. However, the functions and distribution of these genes in phage virions on the reef remain unknown.

Results

Here, over 28,000 assembled viral genomes from the free viral community in Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coral reefs were queried against a curated database of virulence genes. The diversity of virulence genes encoded in the viral genomes was tested for relationships with host taxonomy and bacterial density in the environment. The

SUBMITTER: Silveira CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7003362 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature