Genomic properties of new transducing phages and mobile genetic elements of Staphylococcus epidermidis
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2020 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Tomáškovy dny 2020 - XXIX. konference mladých mikrobiologů |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://www.med.muni.cz/tomdny/program |
| Description | Staphylococcus epidermidis mobile genetic elements (MGE), including temperate phages and phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICI), are still not well described. However, through the horizontal gene transfer, they determine properties such as antibiotic resistance and/or virulence to their hosts. Our work characterizes new bacteriophages able to transduce S. epidermidis PICIs and plasmids. Genomes of four temperate siphoviruses and their propagation strains were obtained using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technology. Phage genomes were described and compared in detail. Differences found in otherwise conservative modules of morphogenesis and DNA packaging possibly played a role in frequency of PICI and plasmid transduction. Different PICIs localized in host genomes contain known and/or putative resistance genes as well as genes for helper phage virion assembly alteration. In portion of helper phage particles, noticeable changes in capsid morphology were observed. Our findings confirm the important role of transducing phages in the evolution of S. epidermidis strains and outline host mechanisms of phage infection disruption. This work was supported by Grant of Czech Science Foundation (GA18-13064S) and Development Fund of Masaryk University MUNI/FR/1181/2018. |
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