Retronphage φR73: an E. coli Phage That Contains a Retroelement and Integrates Into a tRNA Gene

Some strains of Escherichia coli contain retroelements (retrons) that encode genes for reverse transcriptase and branched, multicopy, single-stranded DNA (msDNA) linked to RNA. However, the origin of retrons is unknown. A P4-like cryptic prophage was found that contains a retroelement (retron Ec73) for msDNA-Ec73 in an E. coli clinical strain. The entire genome of this prophage, named φR73, is 12.7 kilobase pairs and is flanked by 29-base pair direct repeats derived from the 3′ end of the selenocystyl transfer RNA gene (selC). P2 bacteriophage caused excision of the φR73 prophage and acted as a helper to package φR73 DNA into an infectious virion. The newly formed φR73 closely resembled P4 as a virion and in its lytic growth. Retronphage φR73 lysogenized a new host strain, reintegrating its genome into the selC gene of the host chromosome and enabling the newly formed lysogens to produce msDNA-Ec73. Hence, retron Ec73 can be transferred intercellularly as part of the genome of a helper-dependent retronphage.