Single-stranded DNA phages: from early molecular biology tools to recent revolutions in environmental microbiology

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages are profoundly different from tailed phages in many aspects including the nature and size of their genome, virion size and morphology, mutation rate, involvement in horizontal gene transfer, infection dynamics and cell lysis mechanisms. Despite the importance of ss...

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Veröffentlicht in:FEMS microbiology letters Jg. 363; H. 6; S. fnw027
Hauptverfasser: Székely, Anna J., Breitbart, Mya
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: England Oxford University Press 01.03.2016
Schlagworte:
Bacteriophages - classification
Bacteriophages - genetics
Bacteriophages - physiology
Biology
Cell culture
Cytology
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA, Single-Stranded
DNA, Viral
Environmental Microbiology
Evolution, Molecular
Gene transfer
Genome, Viral
Genomes
Horizontal transfer
Inoviridae
Lysis
Metagenomics
methodological biases
Microbiology
Microviridae
Molecular biology
Morphology
Mutation
Mutation rates
Phages
Single-stranded DNA
ssDNA phages
viral metagenomics
Viral Tropism
Virions
viral metagenomics
methodological biases
ssDNA phages
Microviridae
Inoviridae
ISSN:1574-6968, 0378-1097, 1574-6968
Online-Zugang:Volltext
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Zusammenfassung:Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages are profoundly different from tailed phages in many aspects including the nature and size of their genome, virion size and morphology, mutation rate, involvement in horizontal gene transfer, infection dynamics and cell lysis mechanisms. Despite the importance of ssDNA phages as molecular biology tools and model systems, the environmental distribution and ecological roles of these phages have been largely unexplored. Viral metagenomics and other culture-independent viral diversity studies have recently challenged the perspective of tailed, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) phages, dominance by demonstrating the prevalence of ssDNA phages in diverse habitats. However, the differences between ssDNA and dsDNA phages also substantially limit the efficacy of simultaneously assessing the abundance and diversity of these two phage groups. Here we provide an overview of the major differences between ssDNA and tailed dsDNA phages that may influence their effects on bacterial communities. Furthermore, through the analysis of 181 published metaviromes we demonstrate the environmental distribution of ssDNA phages and present an analysis of the methodological biases that distort their study through metagenomics. In light of the recent recognition of the high diversity and cosmopolitan distribution of single-stranded DNA phages, this manuscript presents an overview of the major differences between single-stranded and double-stranded DNA phages that may influence their effects on bacterial communities and make their simultaneous study in environmental samples challenging.
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ISSN:1574-6968
0378-1097
1574-6968
DOI:10.1093/femsle/fnw027