Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
Published on: June 11, 2015
The phage-related chromosomal islands of Gram-positive bacteria
Richard P Novick1, Gail E Christie, Jose R Penadés
1New York University School of Medicine, Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Molecular Pathogenesis Program, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. Richard.Novick@med.nyu.edu
Abstract:
The phage-related chromosomal islands (PRCIs) were first identified in Staphylococcus aureus as highly mobile, superantigen-encoding genetic elements known as the S. aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs). These elements are characterized by a specific set of phage-related functions that enable them to use the phage reproduction cycle for their own transduction and inhibit phage reproduction in the process. SaPIs produce many phage-like infectious particles; their streptococcal counterparts have a role in gene regulation but may not be infectious. These elements therefore represent phage satellites or parasites, not defective phages. In this Review, we discuss the shared genetic content of PRCIs, their life cycle and their ability to be transferred across large phylogenetic distances.
Related Concept Videos
DNA Bacteriophages
Bacteriophages of the Human Virome
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

