title: Site-specific recombination links the evolution of P2-like coliphages and pathogenic enterobacteria.
abstract: The genome of the tailed temperate coliphage P2 (Myoviridae) contains some genes that probably are horizontally transferred additions to the genome. One of these genes, the Z/fun gene, was recently found intact in the genome of Neisseria meningitidis. We have investigated the presence of P2-like phages, and the genetic variation at the position corresponding to the phage P2 Z/fun locus, in the Escherichia coli reference collection (ECOR). P2-like phages are common in E. coli since they are present in about 30% of the ECOR strains. Hybridizations and PCR amplifications indicate that the overall variation among these phages is small. Amplification of the region corresponding to the phage P2 Z/fun locus in 11 prophages revealed that this is a multivariable locus. Sequencing of the region resulted in 10 completely different sequences but with a similar high AT-content as the Z/fun gene. All sequences contained at least one open reading frame with good transcription and translation signals. All sequences were also surrounded by a highly similar, previously undiscovered, inverted repeat (IR). We also found this IR in genetically unstable regions in pathogenic enterobacteria. This demonstrates that P2-like phages are important factors in the evolution of bacteria, not only because they carry a diversity of lysogenic conversion genes but also because they can act as vectors for single genes. The genes found between the IRs have unknown functions, and only a few clearly similar genes have been found in other bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. anders.nilsson@genetics.su.se
authors.forename: Anders S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Joakim L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haggård-Ljungquist
mesh_terms: D017901:Bacteriophage P2 / Q000235:genetics*; D001482:Base Composition; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins