In:
Nature Communications, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 10, No. 1 ( 2019-11-29)
Abstract:
Genome modifications are central components of the continuous arms race between viruses and their hosts. The archaeosine base (G + ), which was thought to be found only in archaeal tRNAs, was recently detected in genomic DNA of Enterobacteria phage 9g and was proposed to protect phage DNA from a wide variety of restriction enzymes. In this study, we identify three additional 2′-deoxy-7-deazaguanine modifications, which are all intermediates of the same pathway, in viruses: 2′-deoxy-7-amido-7-deazaguanine (dADG), 2′-deoxy-7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (dPreQ 0 ) and 2′-deoxy-7- aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (dPreQ 1 ). We identify 180 phages or archaeal viruses that encode at least one of the enzymes of this pathway with an overrepresentation (60%) of viruses potentially infecting pathogenic microbial hosts. Genetic studies with the Escherichia phage CAjan show that DpdA is essential to insert the 7-deazaguanine base in phage genomic DNA and that 2′-deoxy-7-deazaguanine modifications protect phage DNA from host restriction enzymes.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2041-1723
DOI:
10.1038/s41467-019-13384-y
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2019
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2553671-0