title: Identification of five novel tectiviruses in Bacillus strains: analysis of a highly variable region generating genetic diversity.
abstract: Our biosphere is abundant with unique and small genes for which no homologs are known. These genes, often referred to as orphans or ORFans, are commonly found in bacteriophage genomes but their origins remain unclear. We discovered five novel tectivirus-like genetic elements by screening more than five-hundred Bacillus strains. A highly variable region (HVR) of these viruses was shown to harbor ORFans in most of these otherwise well-conserved bacteriophages. Previous studies demonstrated that mutations close to this region dramatically alter bacteriophage gene regulation, suggesting that the acquisition of those ORFans may provide a source of genetic diversity that is then subject to genetic selection during bacteriophage evolution.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jalasvuori
authors.forename: Saara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmu
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kokko
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahillon
authors.forename: Jaana K H
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bamford
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fornelos
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001407:Bacillus / Q000821:virology*; D017103:Bacillus Phages / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017916:Tectiviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral