title: Locating and Activating Molecular 'Time Bombs': Induction of Mycolata Prophages.
abstract: Little is known about the prevalence, functionality and ecological roles of temperate phages for members of the mycolic acid producing bacteria, the Mycolata. While many lytic phages infective for these organisms have been isolated, and assessed for their suitability for use as biological control agents of activated sludge foaming, no studies have investigated how temperate phages might be induced for this purpose. Bioinformatic analysis using the PHAge Search Tool (PHAST) on Mycolata whole genome sequence data in GenBank for members of the genera Gordonia, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, and Tsukamurella revealed 83% contained putative prophage DNA sequences. Subsequent prophage inductions using mitomycin C were conducted on 17 Mycolata strains. This led to the isolation and genome characterization of three novel Caudovirales temperate phages, namely GAL1, GMA1, and TPA4, induced from Gordonia alkanivorans, Gordonia malaquae, and Tsukamurella paurometabola, respectively. All possessed highly distinctive dsDNA genome sequences.
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, Bendigo, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Zoe A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, Bendigo, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Teagan L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, Bendigo, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal, Plant & Soil Sciences, Latrobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, Bendigo, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Seviour
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petrovski
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016679:Genome, Viral; D033601:Gordonia Bacterium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009615:Nocardia / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D039002:Prophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage