Year: 2022

WO PHAGE GENE MODULES. "Metagenomic analysis of the complete genome from phage WO particles reveals all formerly described phage genetic modules (lysogeny, baseplate, head, replication, virulence, tail and patatin-like phospholipase), as well as a new group of genes that we collectively group into a eukaryotic association module (EAM)." https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

EUKARYOTIC GENES IN WO PHAGE EAM. "Some of these genes (i) appear to encode protein domains and cleavage sites central to eukaryotic functions, (ii) occur in both phage and metazoan hosts, (iii) comprise the second largest phage gene to date (14,256 bp) and (iv) are absent from mutualistic, phage-free genomes of Wolbachia." (EAM = eukaryotic association module). https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

EUKARYOTIC GENES IN PHAGE. "Together, these genes increase the phage WO genome size by roughly 50% and include 10 types of protein domains with four predicted eukaryotic functions: toxins; host–microbe interactions; host cell suicide; and secretion of proteins through the cell membrane." https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

EAM GENES IN PHAGES. "Notably, over half of these domain types share greater amino-acid homology to eukaryotic invertebrates than to bacteria in GenBank." (EAM = eukaryotic association module). https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

NOVEL FINDING. "Among this subset with eukaryotic sequence homology, the protein domains are almost exclusively found in the phage EAM. An EAM has never before been reported in bacteriophage genomes, to our knowledge, possibly because phages of obligate intracellular bacteria occupy a unique eukaryotic-enclosed niche and are relatively understudied." (EAM = eukaryotic association module). https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

EYE OF NEWT AND TOE OF FROG. "By sequencing full genomes from purified bacteriophage WO particles of Wolbachia, we discover a novel eukaryotic association module with various animal proteins domains, such as the black widow latrotoxin-CTD, that are uninterrupted in intact bacteriophage genomes, enriched with eukaryotic protease cleavage sites, and combined with additional domains to forge some of the largest bacteriophage genes (up to 14,256 bp)." (Macbeth Act IV Scene I). https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

ANIMAL TO PHAGE. "These various protein domain families are central to eukaryotic functions and have never before been reported in packaged bacteriophages, and their phylogeny, distribution and sequence diversity implies lateral transfer from animal to bacteriophage genomes." https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

HIJACKED GENES. "We suggest that the evolution of these eukaryotic protein domains in bacteriophage WO parallels the evolution of eukaryotic genes in canonical eukaryotic viruses, namely those commandeered for viral life cycle adaptations." Curiously, skipping strict domains. https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

LATERAL MOVE. "To the best of our knowledge, these eukaryotic-like domains have never before been reported in packaged bacteriophages and their phylogeny, distribution and sequence diversity imply lateral transfers between bacteriophage/prophage and animal genomes." https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn

MIRROR. "The presence of eukaryotic-like protein domains in bacteriophage genomes is of special note as they curiously mirror eukaryotic genes in large eukaryotic viruses that aid in viral mimicry and manipulation of host processes." https://lnkd.in/dYh3-r4 View in LinkedIn