Identification and biosynthesis of thymidine hypermodifications in the genomic DNA of widespread bacterial viruses

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714812115
• Publication Date: 2018-03-19T19:19:21Z
• Authors: Yan-Jiun Lee; Nan Dai; Shannon E. Walsh; Stephanie Müller; Morgan E. Fraser; Kathryn M. Kauffman; Chudi Guan; Ivan R. Corrêa; Peter R. Weigele
• Keywords: Thymidine; genomic DNA

Significance Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) append a variety of molecules, including sugars, amino acids, and polyamines, to the nucleobases their genomic DNA circumvent endonuclease-based defenses hosts. These hypermodifications are formed through bacteriophage-encoded biosynthetic pathways, with steps occurring before after replication bacteriophage DNA. We report here discovery two thymidine hypermodifications: 5-(2-aminoethoxy)methyluridine replacing 40% nucleotides in Salmonella phage ViI 5-(2-aminoethyl)uridine 30% Pseudomonas M6. Additionally, we show vitro reconstitution biosynthesis from five recombinantly expressed proteins. findings reveal an expanded diversity types naturally modifications pathways.