Open AccessGp66, a calcineurin family phosphatase encoded by mycobacteriophage D29, is a 2′, 3′ cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase that negatively regulates phage growth
Author(s) -
Dutta Soumita,
Bhawsinghka Niketa,
Das Gupta Sujoy K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6968.12625
Subject(s) - biology , gene , bacteriophage , genetics , lysogenic cycle , methanococcus , gene family , horizontal gene transfer , microbiology and biotechnology , phylogenetic tree , escherichia coli , genome
Mycobacteriophage D29 encodes a protein Gp66 which has been predicted to be a calcineurin family phosphoesterase. Phylogenetically Gp66 and related proteins mostly derived from mycobacteriophages form a distinct clade within this family. Interestingly, the presence of gene 66 orthologs can be traced to bacteria of diverse phylogenetic lineages such as Aquifex aeolicus, a deep branching eubacteria and Methanococcus jannaschii , an archaebacteria. The promiscuous nature of gene 66 suggests that it may have been transferred across genus barriers by horizontal gene transfer mechanisms. The biological function of members of this novel clade comprising mostly the mycobacteriophage phosphoesterases have not been elucidated so far. In this investigation, it has been demonstrated for the first time that Gp66, a member of this novel family, is a 2′, 3′ cyclic phosphodiesterase. The gene is expressed during phage infection and the net result is negative regulation of bacteriophage as well as bacterial growth.