AUTHOR=Wang Guan H. , Sun Bao F. , Xiong Tuan L. , Wang Yan K. , Murfin Kristen E. , Xiao Jin H. , Huang Da W. 

TITLE=Bacteriophage WO Can Mediate Horizontal Gene Transfer in Endosymbiotic Wolbachia Genomes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01867

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2016.01867

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is common in free-living bacteria, and many transferred genes can play a significant role in their new bacterial hosts. However, there are few reports concerning phage-mediated HGT in endosymbionts (obligate intracellular bacteria within animal or plant hosts), such as <italic>Wolbachia</italic>. The <italic>Wolbachia</italic>-infecting temperate phage WO can actively shift among <italic>Wolbachia</italic> genomes and has the potential to mediate HGT between <italic>Wolbachia</italic> strains. In the present study, we extend previous findings by validating that the phage WO can mediate transfer of non-phage genes. To do so, we utilized bioinformatic, phylogenetic, and molecular analyses based on all sequenced <italic>Wolbachia</italic> and phage WO genomes. Our results show that the phage WO can mediate HGT between <italic>Wolbachia</italic> strains, regardless of whether the transferred genes originate from <italic>Wolbachia</italic> or other unrelated bacteria.</p>