Research
| Title： | Metabolic Genes within Cyanophage Genomes: Implications for Diversity and Evolution |
|---|---|
| First author： | Gao, E-Bin; Huang, Youhua; Ning, Degang |
| Journal： | GENES |
| Years： | 2016 |
| DOI： | 10.3390/genes7100080 |
| Abstract： | Cyanophages, a group of viruses specifically infecting cyanobacteria, are genetically diverse and extensively abundant in water environments. As a result of selective pressure, cyanophages often acquire a range of metabolic genes from host genomes. The host-derived genes make a significant contribution to the ecological success of cyanophages. In this review, we summarize the host-derived metabolic genes, as well as their origin and roles in cyanophage evolution and important host metabolic pathways, such as the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, nutrient acquisition and nucleotide biosynthesis. We also discuss the suitability of the host-derived metabolic genes as potential diagnostic markers for the detection of genetic diversity of cyanophages in natural environments. |
