Tropism switching in Bordetella bacteriophage defines a family of diversity-generating retroelements

Sergei Doulatov, Asher Hodes, Lixin Dai, Neeraj Mandhana, Minghsun Liu, Rajendar Deora, Robert W. Simons, Steven Zimmerly and Jeff F. Miller ()
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Sergei Doulatov: University of California
Asher Hodes: University of California
Lixin Dai: University of Calgary
Neeraj Mandhana: University of California
Minghsun Liu: University of California
Rajendar Deora: University of California
Robert W. Simons: University of California
Steven Zimmerly: University of Calgary
Jeff F. Miller: University of California

Nature, 2004, vol. 431, issue 7007, 476-481

Abstract: Abstract Bordetella bacteriophages generate diversity in a gene that specifies host tropism1. This microevolutionary adaptation is produced by a genetic element that combines the basic retroelement life cycle of transcription, reverse transcription and integration with site-directed, adenine-specific mutagenesis. Central to this process is a reverse transcriptase-mediated exchange between two repeats; one serving as a donor template (TR) and the other as a recipient of variable sequence information (VR)1. Here we describe the genetic basis for diversity generation. The directionality of information transfer is determined by a 21-base-pair sequence present at the 3′ end of VR. On the basis of patterns of marker transfer in response to variant selective pressures, we propose that a TR reverse transcript is mutagenized, integrated into VR as a single non-coding strand, and then partially converted to the parental VR sequence. This allows the diversity-generating system to minimize variability to the subset of bases under selection. Using the Bordetella phage cassette as a signature, we have identified numerous related elements in diverse bacteria. These elements constitute a new family of retroelements with the potential to confer selective advantages to their host genomes.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02833

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