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Burkholderia cenocepacia phage BcepMu and a family of Mu-like phages encoding potential pathogenesis factors

Elizabeth J Summer1, Carlos F Gonzalez, Thomas Carlisle

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2128, USA.

Journal of Molecular Biology
|June 9, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified BcepMu, a Mu-like bacteriophage targeting pathogenic Burkholderia cenocepacia. This phage family, widespread in clinical isolates, shows distinct genetic features and potential pathogenicity roles.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, play crucial roles in microbial ecology and evolution.
  • Mu-like bacteriophages are known for their transposon-mediated replication mechanism.
  • Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic human pathogen, particularly problematic in cystic fibrosis patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize a novel Mu-like bacteriophage, BcepMu, with a host range including Burkholderia cenocepacia.
  • To determine the complete genomic sequence of BcepMu and compare it with related phages.
  • To investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of BcepMu in clinical isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and genomic sequencing of BcepMu.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of the BcepMu genome and comparison with homologous prophage elements.
  • Gene homology searches and phylogenetic analysis of transposases.
  • Screening of Burkholderia cepacia complex strains for BcepMu prophage presence.

Main Results:

  • BcepMu, a 36,748 bp Mu-like bacteriophage, was isolated and its genome sequenced.
  • BcepMu shares structural and genetic similarities with bacteriophage Mu and P2, but possesses distinct features, including an inverted left-end region and a unique transposase lineage.
  • Homologs of BcepMu, designated SalMu, PhotoMu, and ChromoMu, were identified in Salmonella typhi, Photorhabdus luminescens, and Chromobacterium violaceum genomes.
  • BcepMu prophage is prevalent in pathogenic Burkholderia cenocepacia ET12 lineage isolates but absent in PHDC and Midwest lineages.
  • BcepMu family members encode a homolog of exeA, potentially involved in bacterial pathogenicity, with BcepMu additionally possessing a lipopolysaccharide modification acyltransferase.

Conclusions:

  • BcepMu represents a distinct lineage of Mu-like bacteriophages with significant implications for understanding phage-host interactions in Burkholderia species.
  • The widespread presence of BcepMu in clinical isolates suggests its potential role in the evolution and pathogenicity of Burkholderia cenocepacia.
  • Comparative genomic analysis reveals conserved and divergent features within the BcepMu phage family, highlighting evolutionary dynamics of mobile genetic elements.

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