Prophages integrating into prophages: A mechanism to accumulate type III secretion effector genes and duplicate Shiga toxin-encoding prophages in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophages (or phages) play major roles in the evolution of bacterial pathogens via horizontal gene transfer. Multiple phages are often integrated in a host chromosome as prophages, not only carrying various novel virulence-related genetic determinants into host bacteria but also providing various possibilities for prophage-prophage interactions in bacterial cells. In particular, Escherichia coli strains such as Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains have acquired more than 10 prophages (up to 21 prophages), many of which encode type III secretion system (T3SS) effector gene clusters. In these strains, some prophages are present at a single locus in tandem, which is usually interpreted as the integration of phages that use the same attach

SUBMITTER: Nakamura K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8112680 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature