The Genomes of Bacteriophages NY12 and Sauron

Abstract

Burkholderia cenocepacia is one of seventeen opportunistic pathogens that form the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). In the clinical environment, Bcc species are especially problematic due to their resistance to many disinfectants and antibiotics. As a result, isolating and characterizing bacteriophages that target these bacteria is becoming increasingly important as an alternative method of treatment. This project focuses on the characterization of NY12 and Sauron, two closely related phages that infect B. cenocepacia. Genome comparison software was used to identify phage genes and their likely functions, including predicting lysis genes, mobile elements, and other features. Putative invertible DNA segments in the genomes were identified. These invertible regions were analyzed using PCR and restriction analysis. These inversions may be a novel mechanism for genetic diversity in bacteriophages.