A corynebacteriophage (or just corynephage) is a
DNA-containing
bacteriophage
A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a ''phage'' (), is a duplodnaviria virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from "bacteria" and the Greek φαγεῖν ('), meaning "to devour". Bact ...
specific for bacteria of genus ''
Corynebacterium
''Corynebacterium'' () is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria and most are aerobic. They are bacilli (rod-shaped), and in some phases of life they are, more specifically, club-shaped, which inspired the genus name ('' coryneform'' means "club- ...
'' as its host.
[NCBI]
Corynephages
(list)
''Corynebacterium diphtheriae virus''
[NCBI]
Corynebacterium diphtheriae virus/phage
(species) strain Corynebacterium diphtheriae phage
(aka Corynephage β
[NCBI]
Corynephage beta
(species) or just β-phage
) introduces toxigenicity into strains of ''
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
''Corynebacterium diphtheriae'' is the pathogenic bacterium that causes diphtheria. It is also known as the Klebs–Löffler bacillus, because it was discovered in 1884 by German bacteriologists Edwin Klebs (1834–1912) and Friedrich Löff ...
'' as it
encodes diphtheria toxin
Diphtheria toxin is an exotoxin secreted by ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae'', the pathogenic bacterium that causes diphtheria. The toxin gene is encoded by a prophageA prophage is a virus that has inserted itself into the genome of the host ba ...
,
TABLE 1. Bacterial virulence properties altered by bacteriophages
from [L. P. Johnson, M. A. Tomai, P. M. Schlievert]
Bacteriophage Involvement in Group A Streptococcal Pyrogenic Exotoxin A Production
In: Journal Of Bacteriology, Volume 166, No. 2, May 1986, pp 623-627 [SIB]
Viral exotoxin
Expasy: ViralZone. Accessed 18 Feb 2021[SIB]
Modulation of host virulence by virus
Expasy: ViralZone. Accessed 18 Feb 2021
it has subtypes beta c and beta vir.[NCBI]
Corynephage omega
(species)
References
Bacteriophages
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