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Morphology of Brochothrix thermosphacta phages
H W Ackermann1, G G Greer, J Rocourt
1Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Microbios
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Electron microscopy revealed three species of Brochothrix thermosphacta phages, two in the Siphoviridae family and one in the Myoviridae family. Species A19 shows morphological similarities to other bacterial phages, suggesting host-phage relationships.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Bacteriophage research
Background:
- Brochothrix thermosphacta is a bacterium commonly found in food environments.
- Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and can be used to study bacterial populations and evolution.
- Understanding phage diversity is crucial for applications in food safety and biotechnology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the morphology of Brochothrix thermosphacta phages.
- To classify these phages into taxonomic families based on their structure.
- To investigate potential phylogenetic relationships between B. thermosphacta phages and other known bacterial viruses.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-one isolates of B. thermosphacta phages were subjected to examination.
- Electron microscopy was employed to visualize phage morphology, focusing on head and tail structures.
- Phages were classified into species and families based on observed morphological characteristics.
Main Results:
- All examined phages possessed isometric heads and either contractile or long, noncontractile tails.
- The phages were grouped into three distinct species: A19 (Myoviridae family) and NF5 and BL3 (Siphoviridae family).
- Species A19 exhibited unique morphological features, closely resembling well-characterized phages of Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully classified B. thermosphacta phages into established viral families.
- Morphological similarities of species A19 suggest evolutionary links between B. thermosphacta phages and phages infecting other Gram-positive bacteria.
- These findings contribute to understanding phage diversity and host-phage co-evolutionary patterns.