Prophages are highly dynamic components in the bacterial genome and play an important role in intraspecies variations. There are at least two prophages in the chromosomes of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) Floridian isolates. Las is both unculturable and the most prevalent species of Liberibacter pathogens that cause huanglongbing (HLB), a worldwide destructive disease of citrus. In th...

Staphylococcus aureus can colonize and infect both humans and animals, but isolates from both hosts tend to belong to different lineages. Our recent finding of bovine-adapted S. aureus showing close genetic relationship to the human S. aureus clonal complex 8 (CC8) allowed us to examine the genetic basis of host adaptation in this particular CC. Using total chromosome microarrays, we compared t...

Antibiotics are used for disease therapeutic or preventative effects in humans and animals, as well as for enhanced feed conversion efficiency in livestock. Antibiotics can also cause undesirable effects in microbial populations, including selection for antibiotic resistance, enhanced pathogen invasion, and stimulation of horizontal gene transfer. Carbadox is a veterinary antibiotic used in the...

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) may cause bloody diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis (HC), with subsequent systemic disease. Since genes coding for Shiga toxins (stx genes) are located on lambdoid prophages, their effective production occurs only after prophage induction. Such induction and subsequent lytic development of Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages results not only in prod...

11 Viral coinfection is a common across taxa and environments. Coinfection can enable 12 genetic exchange, alter the dynamics of infections, and change the course of viral 13 evolution. Despite the importance of coinfection to viral ecology and evolution, the 14 factors that influence the frequency and extent of viral coinfection remain largely 15 unexplored. Here I employ an extensive data set...

Ames strain TA100 was cured of its Fels 1 and Fels 2 prophages to yield the corresponding nonlysogenic derivative designated TAQ100. The two monolysogenic strains corresponding to TA100 lysogenic for Fels 1 (TAQ100F1) and for Fels 2 (TAQ100F2) were also isolated. In addition, the equivalent strains lacking pKM101 and designated TAQ1535, TAQ1535F1, and TAQ1535F2 were obtained. Ames strains TA98 ...

Strains from a subgroup of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium frequently associated with pigeon infections were tested for genomic anomalies and virulence in mice. Some strains have a genomic inversion between rrn operons. Two prophages found in the common laboratory strain LT2 were absent. Pigeon-associated strains are still virulent in mice.

We describe three newly isolated phages-Obliviate, UmaThurman, and Guacamole-that infect Gordonia terrae 3612. The three genomes are related to one another but are not closely related to other previously sequenced phages or prophages. The three phages are predicted to use integration-dependent immunity systems as described in several mycobacteriophages.

We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ.

The complete genome of ITALIC! Salmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium strain SO3 (sequence type 302), isolated from a fatal meningitis infection in Mexico, was determined using PacBio technology. The chromosome hosts six complete prophages and is predicted to harbor 51 genomic islands, including 13 pathogenicity islands (SPIs). It carries the ITALIC! Salmonellavirulence plasmid (pSTV).