Isolation and characterization of the novel Virgibacillus-infecting bacteriophage Mimir87

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Insect Pathology

Background:

• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and play crucial roles in microbial ecosystems.
• Salt-tolerant bacteria, such as Virgibacillus halotolerans, are important in hypersaline environments.
• Honey bees can harbor diverse microbial communities, including potential bacterial hosts for phages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacteriophage infecting Virgibacillus halotolerans.
• To determine the morphological and genomic features of the novel phage.
• To assess the phylogenetic relationship of the novel phage to known bacteriophages.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteriophage Mimir87 from worker honey bee samples.
• Morphological characterization using electron microscopy.
• Genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to predict protein functions and phylogenetic relationships.

Main Results:

• The novel bacteriophage Mimir87 was isolated and identified as infecting Virgibacillus halotolerans.
• Mimir87 exhibits morphological characteristics of the Siphoviridae family, with an elongated head and long non-contractile tail.
• The phage genome (48,016 bp) encodes 68 predicted proteins, including two novel metabolism-related transporter proteins, and shows distant relatedness to Bacillus and Paenibacillus viruses.

Conclusions:

• Mimir87 represents a novel bacteriophage, likely belonging to a new genus within the Siphoviridae family.
• The discovery of Mimir87 expands our understanding of phage diversity and their hosts in unusual environments.
• The unique genetic makeup of Mimir87, particularly the novel transporter proteins, warrants further investigation into its biological significance.