title: Characterization of novel phages isolated in coagulase-negative staphylococci reveals evolutionary relationships with Staphylococcus aureus phages.
abstract: Despite increasing interest in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), little information is available about their bacteriophages. We isolated and sequenced three novel temperate Siphoviridae phages (StB12, StB27, and StB20) from the CoNS Staphylococcus hominis and S. capitis species. The genome sizes are around 40 kb, and open reading frames (ORFs) are arranged in functional modules encoding lysogeny, DNA metabolism, morphology, and cell lysis. Bioinformatics analysis allowed us to assign a potential function to half of the predicted proteins. Structural elements were further identified by proteomic analysis of phage particles, and DNA-packaging mechanisms were determined. Interestingly, the three phages show identical integration sites within their host genomes. In addition to this experimental characterization, we propose a novel classification based on the analysis of 85 phage and prophage genomes, including 15 originating from CoNS. Our analysis established 9 distinct clusters and revealed close relationships between S. aureus and CoNS phages. Genes involved in DNA metabolism and lysis and potentially in phage-host interaction appear to be widespread, while structural genes tend to be cluster specific. Our findings support the notion of a possible reciprocal exchange of genes between phages originating from S. aureus and CoNS, which may be of crucial importance for pathogenesis in staphylococci.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie Bactérienne, Faculté de Sciences, IBMM, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium. marie.deghorain@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deghorain
authors.forename: Louis-Marie
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bobay
authors.forename: Pierre R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Smeesters
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bousbata
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perez-Morga
authors.forename: Pierre-Alexandre
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Drèze
authors.forename: Eduardo P C
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touchon
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Melderen
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D023061:Gene Order; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008242:Lysogeny; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D039002:Prophages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017906:Siphoviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D003030:Coagulase; D004279:DNA, Viral