Project description:Active segregation of DNA in bacteria is catalyzed by cytomotive structures. Mediators of subcellular plasmid positioning are Walker-type ATPases (ParA), actin-like proteins, or tubulin homologs. These motor proteins are coupled to the DNA via adaptor proteins that recognize specific DNA motifs. Here, we describe that a temperate phage, CGP3, integrated into the genome of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 encodes an actin-like protein, AlpC. Biochemical characterization confirms that AlpC is a bona fide actin-like protein and cell biological analysis shows that AlpC forms dynamic filamentous structures upon phage induction. The co-transcribed AlpA protein binds to a specific region of the phage DNA, possibly functioning as an adaptor protein that connects circular phage DNA to the tips of the AlpC filaments. The AlpC filaments transport phage DNA to the cell membrane of the host cell. Furthermore, both AlpA and AlpC are required for efficient phage replication. This is remarkably similar to actin-assisted membrane localization of eukaryotic viruses that use the actin cytoskeleton to concentrate virus particles at the egress sites.
Project description:Active segregation of DNA in bacteria is catalyzed by cytomotive structures. Mediators of subcellular plasmid positioning are Walker-type ATPases (ParA), actin-like proteins, or tubulin homologs. These motor proteins are coupled to the DNA via adaptor proteins that recognize specific DNA motifs. Here, we describe that a temperate phage, CGP3, integrated into the genome of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 encodes an actin-like protein, AlpC. Biochemical characterization confirms that AlpC is a bona fide actin-like protein and cell biological analysis shows that AlpC forms dynamic filamentous structures upon phage induction. The co-transcribed AlpA protein binds to a specific region of the phage DNA, possibly functioning as an adaptor protein that connects circular phage DNA to the tips of the AlpC filaments. The AlpC filaments transport phage DNA to the cell membrane of the host cell. Furthermore, both AlpA and AlpC are required for efficient phage replication. This is remarkably similar to actin-assisted membrane localization of eukaryotic viruses that use the actin cytoskeleton to concentrate virus particles at the egress sites.
Project description:We used microarray analysis to investigate whole genome transcriptome dynamics of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus sp. strain MED4 and the T7-like podovirus P-SSP7 over a time course during the 8 hour latent period of lytic infection prior to cell lysis. Manuscript Summary: Interactions between bacterial hosts and their viruses (phages) lead to reciprocal genome evolution through a dynamic co-evolutionary process1-5. Phage-mediated transfer of host genes – often located in genome islands – has had a major impact on microbial evolution1, 4, 6. Furthermore, phage genomes have clearly been shaped by the acquisition of genes from their hosts2, 3, 5. Here we investigate whole-genome expression of a host and phage, the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus and a T7-like cyanophage during lytic infection, to gain insight into these co-evolutionary processes. While most of the phage genome was linearly transcribed over the course of infection, 4 phage-encoded bacterial metabolism genes were part of the same expression cluster, even though they are physically separated on the genome. These genes — encoding photosystem II D1 (psbA), high-light inducible protein (hli), transaldolase (talC) and ribonucleotide reductase (nrd) — are transcribed together with phage DNA replication genes and appear to make up a functional unit involved in energy and deoxynucleotide production needed for phage replication in resource-poor oceans. Also unique to this system was the upregulation of numerous genes in the host during infection. These may be host stress response genes, and/or genes induced by the phage. Many of these host genes are located in genome islands and have homologues in cyanophage genomes. We hypothesize that phage have evolved to utilize upregulated host genes, leading to their stable incorporation into phage genomes and their subsequent transfer back to hosts in genome islands. Thus activation of host genes during infection may be directing the co-evolution of gene content in both host and phage genomes. Keywords: time course, viral infection, marine cyanobacteria, podovirus, bacteriophage, stress response