title: Molecular characterization of a new abortive infection system (AbiU) from Lactococcus lactis LL51-1.
abstract: This study reports on the identification and characterization of a novel abortive infection system, AbiU, from Lactococcus lactis. AbiU confers resistance to phages from the three main industrially relevant lactococcal phage species: c2, 936, and P335. The presence of AbiU reduced the efficiency of plaquing against specific phage from each species as follows: 3.7 x 10(-1), 1.0 x 10(-2), and 1.0 x 10(-1), respectively. abiU involves two open reading frames, abiU1 (1,772 bp) and abiU2 (1,019 bp). Evidence indicates that AbiU1 is responsible for phage resistance and that AbiU2 may downregulate phage resistance against 936 and P335 type phages but not c2 type phage. AbiU appeared to delay transcription of both phage 712 and c2, with the effect being more marked on phage c2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C444002:AbiU protein, Lactococcus lactis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral