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Prophage-like elements present in Mycobacterium genomes

Xiangyu Fan, Longxiang Xie, Wu Li

  • 1Institute of Modern Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory breeding base of Three Gorges Eco-environment and Bioresources, Eco-Environment Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China. georgex@swu.edu.cn.

BMC Genomics
|March 29, 2014
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This study systematically characterizes mycobacteriophages, revealing thirty-three prophages and prophage-like elements. Eleven novel phages were identified, enhancing our understanding of Mycobacterium biology and phage genomics.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Virology

Background:

  • Prophages are key elements in bacterial genomes, influencing host traits like virulence and evolution.
  • While prophages in some bacteria are well-studied, those in Mycobacterium remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically identify and characterize prophages within Mycobacterium genomes.
  • To analyze the genomic organization and phylogenetic relationships of these mycobacteriophages.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive search of public genome databases (GenBank, WGS) and literature.
  • Detailed analysis of thirty-three identified prophages, including eleven novel ones.
  • Comparative genomics to determine phylogenetic relationships and classifications.

Main Results:

  • Thirty-three prophages and prophage-like elements were identified in Mycobacterium genomes.
  • Eleven of these prophages were newly discovered and analyzed for the first time.
  • Comparative genomics revealed that phi172_2 belongs to Cluster A, and several others form a distinct homology group.

Conclusions:

  • This research provides the first systematic characterization of mycobacteriophages.
  • The findings offer crucial insights into the genomic organization and phylogeny of these elements.
  • This work advances the understanding of Mycobacterium biology and phage-host interactions.

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