Journal
ELIFE
Volume 4, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.06416
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) [54308198, 52007054, 52007572]
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) [GM51975, GM094712, GM1003423]
- Brigham Young University
- Cabrini College
- National Institutes of Health-INBRE [GM103408, GM103430]
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Queens College
- Lehigh University
- Merrimack College
- Davis Foundational Grant
- Providence College
- St. Joseph's University
- University of Houston, Downtown
- University of Maine, Honors College
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
- University of Puerto Rico
- University of Wisconsin, River Falls
- Western Kentucky University
- Gatton Academy of Science and Mathematics
- Georgia College
- Del Mar College
- Miami University
- National Science Foundation (NSF) [DUE-1205059, ABI-1146960, DUE-1245778]
- Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
- Gonzaga University
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Direct For Education and Human Resources
- Division Of Undergraduate Education [1245778] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Undergraduate Education
- Direct For Education and Human Resources [1205059] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Div Of Biological Infrastructure
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1300426, 1551363] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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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.
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