Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

Isolation and Genome Analysis of Single Virions using 'Single Virus Genomics'
Published on: May 26, 2013
Molecular characterization of a new lytic bacteriophage isolated from cheese whey
M R Eller1, R S Dias, C A De Moraes
1Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
Abstract:
In this study, we isolated and characterized a lytic Lactococcus lactis bacteriophage from the sera of a failed fermentation. The phage was isolated and cultured in L. lactis subsp. cremoris in M17 medium. The isolated bacteriophage was characterized by multiplex PCR, pulsed-field electrophoresis, DNA restriction digestion, analysis of the N-terminal sequence of the phage major structural protein, transmission electron microscopy and sequencing and analysis of a conserved fragment of its genome. Analysis of the viral genome indicates that its genome is composed of a DNA strand of approximately 48 kb in length, and PCR and microscopy confirmed that IL-P1 belongs to the group of 936-type phages in the family Siphoviridae, which is the most abundant type of lactococcal virus in dairy products worldwide. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a virus within this family that has a presumptive genome larger than 40 kb.
Related Concept Videos
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
DNA Bacteriophages
Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
Modern Molecular Taxonomy

