Genomic analysis of bacteriophage ESP2949-1, which is virulent for Cronobacter sakazakii

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are abundant in various environments, including sewage.
• Understanding phage diversity and characteristics is crucial for applications in biotechnology and medicine, such as phage therapy.
• Phage ESP2949-1 was isolated from sewage, prompting a detailed investigation into its properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform a comprehensive genomic and morphological characterization of the virulent phage ESP2949-1.
• To identify and analyze the open reading frames (ORFs) and their predicted protein products within the phage genome.
• To classify the phage based on its genomic and morphological features.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and purification of virulent phage ESP2949-1 from sewage samples.
• Morphological analysis using electron microscopy to determine head and tail structures.
• Whole-genome sequencing to determine genome size, G+C content, and identify open reading frames (ORFs).
• Bioinformatics analysis for ORF prediction and functional annotation of protein products.

Main Results:

• Phage ESP2949-1 possesses an icosahedral head and a contractile tail, characteristic of the Myoviridae family.
• The double-stranded DNA genome is 49,116 bp with a 50.09% G+C content.
• Bioinformatics analysis identified 43 putative ORFs, with predicted protein products described.
• Phage ESP2949-1 showed 3% genomic similarity to Enterobacteria phage TLS.

Conclusions:

• Phage ESP2949-1 is a novel virulent phage belonging to the Myoviridae family, isolated from sewage.
• The genomic and morphological characterization provides foundational data for further research on this phage.
• This study represents the first report of the genomic sequence and detailed characterization of phage ESP2949-1, contributing to phage biodiversity knowledge.