Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS04 Environmental Microbial Genomics (Environmental and Disciplinary Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 11:45:00 AM

Location: Brazos

Rohwer, F, , Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA, forest@ucsd.edu

Segall, A, M, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, asegall@sunstroke.sdsu.edu

Seguritan, V, , San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, seguritan@aznet.net

Wolven, F, , San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA, wolven@sciences.sdsu.edu

Steward, G, F, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA, gsteward@cats.ucsc.edu

Choi, D, H, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic Of Korea, dhchoi@bada0.snu.ac.kr

Azam, F, , Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA, fazam@ucsd.edu

MARINE PHAGE GENOMICS

Viruses are ubiquitous components of the marine environment, frequently reaching concentrations of ten-million viruses per ml of surface seawater. The majority of these viral particles are bacteriophages (phages). Although the oceans are probably the largest pool of phage on the planet, the evolutionary relationships of marine phage to phage from other environments are unknown. To address this issue, we have initiated a genomic sequencing project of marine phage. This work has revealed genetic relationships between marine and non-marine phage. For example, two of the marine phage genomes that we have sequenced contain DNA replication proteins with high similarity to those of coliphages T3 and T7. Another completely sequence genome is clearly related to coliphage lambda. The genomes have also revealed interesting clues about marine phage life histories. We will present the latest results from our marine phage sequencing project and discuss a method we have developed for producing shotgun libraries from uncultured phage.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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