Genome packaging in EL and Lin68, two giant phiKZ-like bacteriophages of P. aeruginosa
- I.I. Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, RAMS, Moscow (Russian Federation)
- A.V. Shoubnikov Institute of Crystallography RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)
- M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)
A unique feature of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa giant phage phiKZ is its way of genome packaging onto a spool-like protein structure, the inner body. Until recently, no similar structures have been detected in other phages. We have studied DNA packaging in P. aeruginosa phages EL and Lin68 using cryo-electron microscopy and revealed the presence of inner bodies. The shape and positioning of the inner body and the density of the DNA packaging in EL are different from those found in phiKZ and Lin68. This internal organization explains how the shorter EL genome is packed into a large EL capsid, which has the same external dimensions as the capsids of phiKZ and Lin68. The similarity in the structural organization in EL and other phiKZ-like phages indicates that EL is phylogenetically related to other phiKZ-like phages, and, despite the lack of detectable DNA homology, EL, phiKZ, and Lin68 descend from a common ancestor. - Highlights: • We performed a comparative structural study of giant P. aeruginosa phages: EL, Lin68 and phiKZ. • We revealed that the inner body is a common feature in giant phages. • The phage genome size correlates with the overall dimensions of the inner body.
- OSTI ID:
- 22435073
- Journal Information:
- Virology, Vol. 468-470; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0042-6822
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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