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Origins of highly mosaic mycobacteriophage genomes.
- Source :
-
Cell [Cell] 2003 Apr 18; Vol. 113 (2), pp. 171-82. - Publication Year :
- 2003
-
Abstract
- Bacteriophages are the most abundant organisms in the biosphere and play major roles in the ecological balance of microbial life. The genomic sequences of ten newly isolated mycobacteriophages suggest that the bacteriophage population as a whole is amazingly diverse and may represent the largest unexplored reservoir of sequence information in the biosphere. Genomic comparison of these mycobacteriophages contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of viral evolution and provides compelling evidence for the role of illegitimate recombination in horizontal genetic exchange. The promiscuity of these recombination events results in the inclusion of many unexpected genes including those implicated in mycobacterial latency, the cellular and immune responses to mycobacterial infections, and autoimmune diseases such as human lupus. While the role of phages as vehicles of toxin genes is well established, these observations suggest a much broader involvement of phages in bacterial virulence and the host response to bacterial infections.
- Subjects :
- Autoimmune Diseases genetics
Autoimmune Diseases immunology
Bacterial Infections genetics
Bacterial Infections immunology
Bacterial Toxins biosynthesis
Bacterial Toxins genetics
DNA, Viral genetics
Evolution, Molecular
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial genetics
Humans
Microscopy, Electron
Molecular Sequence Data
Mycobacteriophages metabolism
Mycobacteriophages ultrastructure
Mycobacterium genetics
Mycobacterium pathogenicity
Mycobacterium smegmatis genetics
Mycobacterium smegmatis metabolism
Mycobacterium smegmatis virology
Phylogeny
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Signal Transduction genetics
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral genetics
Genome, Viral
Host-Parasite Interactions genetics
Mosaicism genetics
Mycobacteriophages genetics
Mycobacterium virology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0092-8674
- Volume :
- 113
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Cell
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 12705866
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(03)00233-2