Genome Sequences of 12 Mycobacteriophages Recovered from Archival Stocks in Japan

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Mycobacterium smegmatis is a well-characterized non-pathogenic mycobacterium, often used as a model organism.
• Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and play crucial roles in microbial ecosystems.
• Siphoviruses are a common morphological class of bacteriophages characterized by their long, non-contractile tails.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel siphoviruses from long-term archival stocks of Mycobacterium smegmatis.
• To determine the genomic features of the recovered siphoviruses.
• To classify the isolated siphoviruses based on their genomic data.

Main Methods:

• Bacteriophage isolation from archival Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 stocks.
• Genome sequencing of the isolated siphoviruses.
• Bioinformatic analysis for genome size, G+C content, and phylogenetic classification.

Main Results:

• Twelve siphoviruses were successfully recovered and characterized.
• Genome sequences ranged from 46.0 to 61.3 kbp.
• G+C content varied between 63% and 68%.
• Phylogenetic analysis placed the isolates within cluster W, including subclusters A1, A2, B3, A7, I1, and K4.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified and genomically characterized 12 novel siphoviruses from M. smegmatis.
• The genomic data provides valuable insights into the diversity and classification of mycobacteriophages within cluster W.
• These findings contribute to the broader understanding of phage-host interactions and phage genomics.