title: The Pseudomonas aeruginosa generalized transducing phage phiPA3 is a new member of the phiKZ-like group of 'jumbo' phages, and infects model laboratory strains and clinical isolates from cystic fibrosis patients.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients, and a model organism for the study of nosocomially acquired infections, biofilms and intrinsic multidrug resistance. In this study we characterize ϕPA3, a new generalized transducing bacteriophage for P. aeruginosa. ϕPA3 transduced chromosomal mutations between PAO1 strains, and infected multiple P. aeruginosa clinical isolates as well as the P. aeruginosa model laboratory strains PAK and PA14. Electron microscopy imaging was used to classify ϕPA3 in the order Caudovirales and the family Myoviridae. The genome of ϕPA3 was sequenced and found to contain 309,208 bp, the second-largest bacteriophage currently deposited in GenBank. The genome contains 378 ORFs and five tRNAs. Many ORF products in the ϕPA3 genome are similar to proteins encoded by P. aeruginosa phage ϕKZ and Pseudomonas chlororaphis phage 201ϕ2-1, and so ϕPA3 was classified genetically as a member of the ϕKZ-like group of phages. This is the first report of a member of this group of phages acting as a generalized transducer. Given its wide host range, high transduction efficiency and large genome size, the 'jumbo' phage ϕPA3 could be a powerful tool in functional genomic analysis of diverse P. aeruginosa strains of fundamental and clinical importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Monson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Foulds
authors.affiliation: Papworth Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB23 3RE, UK.
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foweraker
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
authors.forename: George P C
authors.initials: GPC
authors.lastname: Salmond
mesh_terms: D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D058507:Host Specificity; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D017105:Pseudomonas Phages / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000821:virology*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D012343:RNA, Transfer