Genome Sequence of Arthrobacter sp. Phage Scuttle

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Soil harbors diverse microbial communities, including bacteriophages.
• Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and play crucial roles in microbial ecosystems.
• Arthrobacter species are common soil bacteria, and their phages are important for understanding phage diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacteriophage infecting Arthrobacter sp.
• To determine the genomic features of the isolated phage.

Main Methods:

• Enrichment culture technique using Arthrobacter sp. ATCC 21022 as the host.
• Isolation of bacteriophage Scuttle from a soil sample.
• Genomic DNA extraction and sequencing.
• Bioinformatic analysis for gene annotation.

Main Results:

• Arthrobacter phage Scuttle was successfully isolated from a dry soil sample collected in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
• The phage genome is 43,729 base pairs in length.
• The genome contains 61 annotated protein-coding genes with a GC content of 61.1%.

Conclusions:

• Arthrobacter phage Scuttle represents a new addition to the known bacteriophage population.
• The genomic data provides a foundation for further studies on its biological properties and ecological role.
• This discovery contributes to the understanding of phage-host interactions in soil environments.