Comparative Genomics of Cluster O Mycobacteriophages

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118725
• Publication Date: 2015-03-05T18:53:39Z
• Authors: Steven G. Cresawn; Welkin H. Pope; Deborah Jacobs-Sera; Charles A. Bowman; Daniel A. Russell; Rebekah M. Dedrick; Tamarah Adair; Kirk R. Anders; Sarah Ball; David Bollivar; Caroline Breitenb...; Sandra H. Burnett; Kristen Butela; Deanna Byrnes; Sarah Carzo; Kathleen A. Cornely; Trevor Cross; Richard L. Daniels; David Dunbar; Ann M. Findley; Chris R. Gissenda...; Urszula P. Golebi...; Grant A. Hartzog; J. Robert Hatherill; Lee E. Hughes; Chernoh S. Jalloh; Carla De Los Santos; Kevin Ekanem; Sphindile L. Kham...; Rodney A. King; Christina King-Smith; Karen Klyczek; Greg P. Krukonis; Christian Laing; Jonathan S. Lapin; A. Javier Lopez; Sipho M. Mkhwanazi; Sally D. Molloy; Deborah Moran; Vanisha Munsamy; Eddie Pacey; Ruth Plymale; Marianne Poxleitner; Nathan Reyna; Joel F. Schildbach; Joseph Stukey; Sarah E. Taylor; Vassie C. Ware; Amanda L. Wellmann; Daniel Westholm; Donna Wodarski; Michelle Zajko; Thabiso S. Zikalala; Roger W. Hendrix; Graham F. Hatfull
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 570; General Science & Technology; Science; Biophysics; Genome, Viral; phage genome evolution; Biochemistry; 03 medical and health sciences; Genetics; Caudovirales; Viral; Phylogeny; Genome; Human Genome; Q; R; Genetic Variation; DNA; Genomics; Mycobacteriophages; proteomic analysis; Chemistry; DNA, Viral; and Structural Biology; Medicine; Generic health relevance; Infection; Biotechnology; Research Article

Mycobacteriophages--viruses of mycobacterial hosts--are genetically diverse but morphologically are all classified in the Caudovirales with double-stranded DNA and tails. We describe here a group of five closely related mycobacteriophages--Corndog, Catdawg, Dylan, Firecracker, and YungJamal--designated as Cluster O with long flexible tails but with unusual prolate capsids. Proteomic analysis of phage Corndog particles, Catdawg particles, and Corndog-infected cells confirms expression of half of the predicted gene products and indicates a non-canonical mechanism for translation of the Corndog tape measure protein. Bioinformatic analysis identifies 8-9 strongly predicted SigA promoters and all five Cluster O genomes contain more than 30 copies of a 17 bp repeat sequence with dyad symmetry located throughout the genomes. Comparison of the Cluster O phages provides insights into phage genome evolution including the processes of gene flux by horizontal genetic exchange.