Flexible genes establish widespread bacteriophage pan-genomes in cryoconite hole ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophage genomes rapidly evolve via mutation and horizontal gene transfer to counter evolving bacterial host defenses; such arms race dynamics should lead to divergence between phages from similar, geographically isolated ecosystems. However, near-identical phage genomes can reoccur over large geographical distances and several years apart, conversely suggesting many are stably maintained. Here, we show that phages with near-identical core genomes in distant, discrete aquatic ecosystems maintain diversity by possession of numerous flexible gene modules, where homologous genes present in the pan-genome interchange to create new phage variants. By repeatedly reconstructing the core and flexible regions of phage genomes from different metagenomes, we show a pool of homologous gene varian

SUBMITTER: Bellas CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7468147 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature