title: The distribution of a phage-related insertion sequence element in the cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa.
abstract: The cyanophage Ma-LMM01, specifically-infecting Microcystis aeruginosa, has an insertion sequence (IS) element that we named IS607-cp showing high nucleotide similarity to a counterpart in the genome of the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. We tested 21 strains of M. aeruginosa for the presence of IS607-cp using PCR and detected the element in strains NIES90, NIES112, NIES604, and RM6. Thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR) revealed each of these strains has multiple copies of IS607-cp. Some of the ISs were classified into three types based on their inserted positions; IS607-cp-1 is common in strains NIES90, NIES112 and NIES604, whereas IS607-cp-2 and IS607-cp-3 are specific to strains NIES90 and RM6, respectively. This multiplicity may reflect the replicative transposition of IS607-cp. The sequence of IS607-cp in Ma-LMM01 showed robust affinity to those found in M. aeruginosa and Cyanothece spp. in a phylogenetic tree inferred from counterparts of various bacteria. This suggests the transfer of IS607-cp between the cyanobacterium and its cyanophage. We discuss the potential role of Ma-LMM01-related phages as donors of IS elements that may mediate the transfer of IS607-cp; and thereby partially contribute to the genome plasticity of M. aeruginosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606–8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Sotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Ryoma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kamikawa
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sako
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D046931:Microcystis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements