Extra-Chromosomal DNA Sequencing Reveals Episomal Prophages Capable of Impacting Virulence Factor Expression in .

is a major human pathogen with well-characterized bacteriophage contributions to its virulence potential. Recently, we identified plasmidial and episomal prophages in strains using an extra-chromosomal DNA (exDNA) isolation and sequencing approach, uncovering the plasmidial phage ϕBU01, which was found to encode important virulence determinants. Here, we expanded our extra-chromosomal sequencing of , selecting 15 diverse clinical isolates with known chromosomal sequences for exDNA isolation and next-generation sequencing.

Uncovering novel mobile genetic elements and their dynamics through an extra-chromosomal sequencing approach.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major clinically important pathogen with well-studied phage contributions to its virulence potential. In this commentary, we describe our method to enrich and sequence stealth extra-chromosomal DNA elements in the bacterial cell, allowing the identification of novel extra-chromosomal prophages in S. aureus clinical strains.

Beyond the chromosome: the prevalence of unique extra-chromosomal bacteriophages with integrated virulence genes in pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus.

In Staphylococcus aureus, the disease impact of chromosomally integrated prophages on virulence is well described. However, the existence of extra-chromosomal prophages, both plasmidial and episomal, remains obscure. Despite the recent explosion in bacterial and bacteriophage genomic sequencing, studies have failed to specifically focus on extra-chromosomal elements.