Title
Whole Genome Comparison of a Large Collection of Mycobacteriophages Reveals a Continuum of Phage Genetic Diversity
Student Authors
Alecia M. Achimovich '16, Gettysburg College
Gabrielle Benson '15, Gettysburg College
Katherine E. Boas '16, Gettysburg College
Ashley Boone, Gettysburg College
Laura E. Brumbaugh '17, Gettysburg College
Warren Campbell, Gettysburg College
Emily Carlisi '15, Gettysburg College
Allison P. Cole '17, Gettysburg College
Alex P. Delenko '17, Gettysburg College
Michael A. DiCandia '15, Gettysburg College
Matthew R. Dunworth '16, Gettysburg College
Rose Fogliano '16, Gettysburg College
Sarah G. Francisco '17, Gettysburg College
Celina M. Harris '17, Gettysburg College
Kendra J. Hayden '12, Gettysburg College
Stacey L. Heaver '15, Gettysburg College
Bethany Holtz '16, Gettysburg College
Emily S. Jankowski '16, Gettysburg College
Joshua B. Kiehl '17, Gettysburg College
Chad C. Killen '15, Gettysburg College
Kristen Kornsey, Gettysburg College
Ignacio Landaverde, Gettysburg College
Jonathan F. Leonard '17, Gettysburg College
Aden E. Lessiak '15, Gettysburg College
Emily M. Love '16, Gettysburg College
Theresa N. Menna '17, Gettysburg College
Savannah G. Miller '17, Gettysburg College
Krupa H. Patel '15, Gettysburg College
Anya Pierson, Gettysburg College
Adam D. Poff '16, Gettysburg College
Taylor L. Randell '17, Gettysburg College
Tiffany A. Ravelomanantsoa '17, Gettysburg College
Joseph D. Robinson '15, Gettysburg College
Samantha A. Siomko '17, Gettysburg College
Natalie T. Tanke '17, Gettysburg College
Melissa R. Tighe '15, Gettysburg College
Brianne E. Tomko '16, Gettysburg College
William D. Ueckermann '17, Gettysburg College
David R. Van Doren '16, Gettysburg College
Albert C. Vill '16, Gettysburg College
Lauren A. Wilson '15, Gettysburg College
Manhao Zeng '15, Gettysburg College
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2015
Department 1
Biology
Abstract
The bacteriophage population is large, dynamic, ancient, and genetically diverse. Limited genomic information shows that phage genomes are mosaic, and the genetic architecture of phage populations remains ill-defined. To understand the population structure of phages infecting a single host strain, we isolated, sequenced, and compared 627 phages of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Their genetic diversity is considerable, and there are 28 distinct genomic types (clusters) with related nucleotide sequences. However, amino acid sequence comparisons show pervasive genomic mosaicism, and quantification of inter-cluster and intra-cluster relatedness reveals a continuum of genetic diversity, albeit with uneven representation of different phages. Furthermore, rarefaction analysis shows that the mycobacteriophage population is not closed, and there is a constant influx of genes from other sources. Phage isolation and analysis was performed by a large consortium of academic institutions, illustrating the substantial benefits of a disseminated, structured program involving large numbers of freshman undergraduates in scientific discovery.
DOI
10.7554/eLife.06416
Recommended Citation
Pope, Welkin H., Charles A Bowman, Daniel A Russell, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, David J Asai, Steven G Cresawn, William R Jacobs Jr, Roger W Hendrix, Jeffrey G Lawrence, Graham F Hatfull, et al. "Whole Genome Comparison of a Large Collection of Mycobacteriophages Reveals a Continuum of Phage Genetic Diversity." eLife 4 (April 2015), 06416.
Comments
Original version is available from the publishers at: http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e06416/article-info