Microbial Genome Sequencing: Sequences of Exceptionally Large Bacteriophage Genomes

存在一类重要的噬菌体（细菌病毒），它们含有非常大的基因组（~500 Kbp），其与原核生物的最小基因组一样大或更大。对这类待测序的第一个噬菌体（噬菌体G）的初步分析揭示了许多令人惊讶的事情，并为这些大型病毒携带哪些基因提供了一些线索。在罗杰·亨德里克斯博士（P.I.）的共同努力下，Graham Hatfull博士和Jeffrey Lawrence博士（均来自匹兹堡大学）将对六个新的大型噬菌体基因组进行测序和分析。这项研究将为病毒的多样性、进化和起源以及它们在宿主进化中的作用提供重要的见解。此外，这些大型病毒的基因组序列将为基因组大小和流动性的决定因素提供线索，并挑战基因属于病毒或宿主的传统观点。噬菌体基因组序列及其注释将通过一个专用的网络服务器提供给科学界，沿着噬菌体基因组序列的定制数据库，并将成为噬菌体生物学家社区的有用资源。噬菌体基因组学还为本科生提供了极好的教育机会，整合了微生物学，生态学，进化，遗传学，基因组学，基因表达，病毒学，计算生物学和生物信息学等多种学科。

An important class of bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) exists that contain very large genomes (~500 Kbp), which are as big or bigger than the smallest genomes of prokaryotic organisms. Preliminary analysis of the first phage of this class to be sequenced (phage G) reveals many surprises and some clues as to what genes are carried by these large viruses. In a collaborative effort among Dr. Roger Hendrix (P.I.), Dr. Graham Hatfull and Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence (all of the University of Pittsburgh), six new large phage genomes will be sequenced and analyzed. This research will provide important insights into the diversity, evolution, and origins of viruses and their role in the evolution of their hosts. Furthermore, the genomic sequences of these large phages will provide clues as to the determinants of genome size and fluidity, and challenge the traditional view that genes belong either to viruses or to hosts. Phage genome sequences and their annotation will be made available to the scientific community through a dedicated web server, along with custom databases of bacteriophage genome sequences, and will be useful resources for the community of bacteriophage biologists. Phage genomics also offers excellent educational opportunities for undergraduate students, integrating a variety of disciplines such as microbiology, ecology, evolution, genetics, genomics, gene expression, virology, computational biology and bioinformatics.