Determination of Host Range Variation between Highly Related Members of a Novel Cluster of Rhodobacter capsulatus Bacteriophages
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Biology
Faculty Advisor
David W. Bollivar and Richard Alvey
Expected Graduation Date
2019
Location
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-13-2019 2:00 PM
End Date
4-13-2019 3:00 PM
Disciplines
Education
Abstract
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, have been studied in the past, but recent advances in sequencing technologies allow for a greater understanding of the composition, function, and evolution of these entities. Rhodobacter capsulatus, a purple, nonsulfur, alphaproteobacterium has served as a host for isolation of new bacteriophages at Illinois Wesleyan. There have now been over 40 isolated R. capsulatus bacteriophages, which, based on genomic sequence, can be arranged into 6 distinct clusters and 3 unclustered singletons. While these phages are grouped according to the similarity in their genetic sequence, many genes remain uncharacterized. We present evidence that some of these genes may play a role in host range expansion. The RcC cluster phages exhibit a high degree of similarity at the genomic level but display variation in host range. All members of cluster RcC are able to infect host strains YW1 and B10 except for RcOceanus. Three regions of variation were identified by comparing genomes of RcC phages RcDormio and RcOceanus. Using genetic recombination experiments we tested the requirement of these genes for host-range expansion. Investigating these uncharacterized genes may lead to an increased understanding of their function and allow for the development of methods for genetic experimentation.
Determination of Host Range Variation between Highly Related Members of a Novel Cluster of Rhodobacter capsulatus Bacteriophages
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, have been studied in the past, but recent advances in sequencing technologies allow for a greater understanding of the composition, function, and evolution of these entities. Rhodobacter capsulatus, a purple, nonsulfur, alphaproteobacterium has served as a host for isolation of new bacteriophages at Illinois Wesleyan. There have now been over 40 isolated R. capsulatus bacteriophages, which, based on genomic sequence, can be arranged into 6 distinct clusters and 3 unclustered singletons. While these phages are grouped according to the similarity in their genetic sequence, many genes remain uncharacterized. We present evidence that some of these genes may play a role in host range expansion. The RcC cluster phages exhibit a high degree of similarity at the genomic level but display variation in host range. All members of cluster RcC are able to infect host strains YW1 and B10 except for RcOceanus. Three regions of variation were identified by comparing genomes of RcC phages RcDormio and RcOceanus. Using genetic recombination experiments we tested the requirement of these genes for host-range expansion. Investigating these uncharacterized genes may lead to an increased understanding of their function and allow for the development of methods for genetic experimentation.