Anne Dekas (Caltech) is following 1 new article in Caltech Ge/Bi 246: Environmental Viruses: Interesting Virus-Related Articles Found by Group Members
Photosystem I gene cassettes are present in marine virus genomes. Sharon Itai (2009) Nature.
January 26, 2010
I mentioned this paper in seminar yesterday in the context of how different the Prochlorococcus host and phage photosystem II genes and proteins are (described by Lindell et al Nature 2005). In this more recent paper (2009), the authors look at photosystem I gene cassettes. By modeling the structures of viral and host proteins, they conclude that the viral form is significantly structurally and potentially functionally different. Calling this "phage gene innovation," the authors suggest that "the oceanic virome could be an almost unlimited source of naturally bioengineered gene cassettes." - Anne Dekas (Caltech) January 26, 2010 Comment deleted