New York University School of Medicine, Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Molecular Pathogenesis Program, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA.
Nat Rev Microbiol. 2010 Aug;8(8):541-51. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro2393.
The phage-related chromosomal islands (PRCIs) were first identified in Staphylococcus aureus as highly mobile, superantigen-encoding genetic elements known as the S. aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs). These elements are characterized by a specific set of phage-related functions that enable them to use the phage reproduction cycle for their own transduction and inhibit phage reproduction in the process. SaPIs produce many phage-like infectious particles; their streptococcal counterparts have a role in gene regulation but may not be infectious. These elements therefore represent phage satellites or parasites, not defective phages. In this Review, we discuss the shared genetic content of PRCIs, their life cycle and their ability to be transferred across large phylogenetic distances.
噬菌体相关染色体岛(PRCIs)最初在金黄色葡萄球菌中被鉴定为高度移动的、编码超抗原的遗传元件,称为金黄色葡萄球菌致病性岛(SaPIs)。这些元件的特征是具有一组特定的噬菌体相关功能,使它们能够利用噬菌体的繁殖周期进行自身转导,并在这个过程中抑制噬菌体的繁殖。SaPIs 产生许多类似噬菌体的传染性颗粒;它们的链球菌对应物在基因调控中起作用,但可能没有传染性。因此,这些元件代表噬菌体卫星或寄生虫,而不是缺陷噬菌体。在这篇综述中,我们讨论了 PRCIs 的共享遗传内容、它们的生命周期以及它们在跨越大的系统发育距离时转移的能力。