%0 Journal Article %A Varga, Marian %A Pantu˚ček, Roman %A Ru˚žičková, Vladislava %A Doškarˇ, Jirˇí %T Molecular characterization of a new efficiently transducing bacteriophage identified in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus %D 2016 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 97 %N 1 %P 258-268 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000329 %I Microbiology Society, %X In Staphylococcus aureus, generalized transduction mediated by temperate bacteriophages represents a highly efficient way of transferring antibiotic resistance genes between strains. In the present study, we identified and characterized in detail a new efficiently transducing bacteriophage of the family Siphoviridae, designated ϕJB, which resides as a prophage in the meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain Jevons B. Whole-genome sequencing followed by detailed in silico analysis uncovered a linear dsDNA genome consisting of 43 012 bp and comprising 70 ORFs, of which ∼40 encoded proteins with unknown function. A global genome alignment of ϕJB and other efficiently transducing phages ϕ11, ϕ53, ϕ80, ϕ80α and ϕNM4 showed a high degree of homology with ϕNM4 and substantial differences with regard to other phages. Using a model transduction system with a well-defined donor and recipient, ϕJB transferred the tetracycline resistance plasmid pT181 and a penicillinase plasmid with outstanding frequencies, beating most of the above-mentioned phages by an order of magnitude. Moreover, ϕJB demonstrated high frequencies of transferring antibiotic resistance plasmids even upon induction from a lysogenic donor strain. Considering such transducing potential, ϕJB and related bacteriophages may serve as a suitable tool for elucidating the nature of transduction and its contribution to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in naturally occurring MRSA populations. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000329