Publications by authors named "Anna Gudny Hermannsdottir"
Isolation and characterization of a thermostable RNA ligase 1 from a Thermus scotoductus bacteriophage TS2126 with good single-stranded DNA ligation properties.
Nucleic Acids Res
February 2005
We have recently sequenced the genome of a novel thermophilic bacteriophage designated as TS2126 that infects the thermophilic eubacterium Thermus scotoductus. One of the annotated open reading frames (ORFs) shows homology to T4 RNA ligase 1, an enzyme of great importance in molecular biology, owing to its ability to ligate single-stranded nucleic acids. The ORF was cloned, and recombinant protein was expressed, purified and characterized.
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- A polynucleotide kinase from the RM378 bacteriophage was identified and characterized, showing both 5'-kinase and 3'-phosphohydrolase activities.
- The kinase has some sequence similarity to T4 bacteriophage's 5'-kinase but differs in the order of its domains and lacks homology in the 3'-phosphohydrolase region.
- The RM378 enzyme's function suggests that RM378, like T4, faces similar anti-phage mechanisms when infecting its host, Rhodothermus marinus.
Thermophilic viruses represent a novel source of genetic material and enzymes with great potential for use in biotechnology. We have isolated a number of thermophilic viruses from geothermal areas in Iceland, and by combining high throughput genome sequencing and state of the art bioinformatics we have identified a number of genes with potential use in biotechnology. We have also demonstrated the existence of thermostable counterparts of previously known bacteriophage enzymes.
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