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Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lindell, D; Jaffe, JD; Johnson, ZI; Church, GM; Chisholm, SW
Published in: Nature
November 2005

Cyanobacteria, and the viruses (phages) that infect them, are significant contributors to the oceanic 'gene pool'. This pool is dynamic, and the transfer of genetic material between hosts and their phages probably influences the genetic and functional diversity of both. For example, photosynthesis genes of cyanobacterial origin have been found in phages that infect Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, the numerically dominant phototrophs in ocean ecosystems. These genes include psbA, which encodes the photosystem II core reaction centre protein D1, and high-light-inducible (hli) genes. Here we show that phage psbA and hli genes are expressed during infection of Prochlorococcus and are co-transcribed with essential phage capsid genes, and that the amount of phage D1 protein increases steadily over the infective period. We also show that the expression of host photosynthesis genes declines over the course of infection and that replication of the phage genome is a function of photosynthesis. We thus propose that the phage genes are functional in photosynthesis and that they may be increasing phage fitness by supplementing the host production of these proteins.

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Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

438

Issue

7064

Start / End Page

86 / 89

Related Subject Headings

  • Viral Proteins
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Prochlorococcus
  • Photosynthesis
  • Genes, Viral
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Bacteriophages
 

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Lindell, D., Jaffe, J. D., Johnson, Z. I., Church, G. M., & Chisholm, S. W. (2005). Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection. Nature, 438(7064), 86–89. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04111
Lindell, Debbie, Jacob D. Jaffe, Zackary I. Johnson, George M. Church, and Sallie W. Chisholm. “Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection.Nature 438, no. 7064 (November 2005): 86–89. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04111.
Lindell D, Jaffe JD, Johnson ZI, Church GM, Chisholm SW. Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection. Nature. 2005 Nov;438(7064):86–9.
Lindell, Debbie, et al. “Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection.Nature, vol. 438, no. 7064, Nov. 2005, pp. 86–89. Epmc, doi:10.1038/nature04111.
Lindell D, Jaffe JD, Johnson ZI, Church GM, Chisholm SW. Photosynthesis genes in marine viruses yield proteins during host infection. Nature. 2005 Nov;438(7064):86–89.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

438

Issue

7064

Start / End Page

86 / 89

Related Subject Headings

  • Viral Proteins
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Prochlorococcus
  • Photosynthesis
  • Genes, Viral
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Bacteriophages