title: Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity island DNA is packaged in particles composed of phage proteins.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) have an intimate relationship with temperate staphylococcal phages. During phage growth, SaPIs are induced to replicate and are efficiently encapsidated into special small phage heads commensurate with their size. We have analyzed by amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry the protein composition of the specific SaPI particles. This has enabled identification of major capsid and tail proteins and a putative portal protein. As expected, all these proteins were phage encoded. Additionally, these analyses suggested the existence of a protein required for the formation of functional phage but not SaPI particles. Mutational analysis demonstrated that the phage proteins identified were involved only in the formation and possibly the function of SaPI or phage particles, having no role in other SaPI or phage functions.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Apdo. 187, 12.400 Segorbe, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: María Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tormo
authors.forename: María Desamparados
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maiques
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ubeda
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Selva
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lasa
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Calvete
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Novick
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Penadés
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D044404:Genomic Islands / Q000235:genetics*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014764:Viral Proteins