The complete genomes of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages 80 and 80α--implications for the specificity of SaPI mobilization.
Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) are mobile elements that are induced by a helper bacteriophage to excise and replicate and to be encapsidated in phage-like particles smaller than those of the helper, leading to high-frequency transfer. SaPI mobilization is helper phage specific; only certain SaPIs can be mobilized by a particular helper phage. Staphylococcal phage 80α can mobilize every SaPI tested thus far, including SaPI1, SaPI2 and SaPIbov1. Phage 80, on the other hand, cannot mobilize SaPI1, and ϕ11 mobilizes only SaPIbov1. In order to better understand the relationship between SaPIs and their helper phages, the genomes of phages 80 and 80α were sequenced, compared with other staphylococcal phage genomes, and analyzed for unique features that may be involved in SaPI mobilization.
Christie
G E
GE
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1101 E Marshall Street; PO Box 980678, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA. christie@vcu.edu
Matthews
A M
AM
King
D G
DG
Lane
K D
KD
Olivarez
N P
NP
Tallent
S M
SM
Gill
S R
SR
Novick
R P
RP
D001287:Attachment Sites, Microbiological; D001483:Base Sequence; D004261:DNA Replication; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D044404:Genomic Islands / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006378:Helper Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019426:Integrases; D008242:Lysogeny; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000821:virology*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly
D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D019426:Integrases