Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
09:01

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

Published on: September 28, 2022

2.4K

Characterization of the first Pseudomonas grimontii bacteriophage, PMBT3

Sabrina Sprotte1, Erik Brinks2, Natalia Wagner2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Hermann-Weigmann-Str. 1, 24103, Kiel, Germany. sabrina.sprotte@mri.bund.de.

Archives of Virology
|August 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Researchers sequenced the genome of bacteriophage PMBT3, the first phage found to infect Pseudomonas grimontii. This novel phage, belonging to the Siphoviridae family, possesses unique genetic features, including a tellurite resistance gene.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Pseudomonas grimontii is a bacterium that can be infected by bacteriophages.
  • Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and play roles in microbial ecology and evolution.
  • Characterizing novel bacteriophages provides insights into viral diversity and host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To perform a complete genome sequencing of bacteriophage PMBT3.
  • To characterize the morphology and genomic features of PMBT3.
  • To determine the phylogenetic relationship of PMBT3 with other known phages.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and purification of bacteriophage PMBT3 from a Pseudomonas grimontii strain.
  • Transmission electron microscopy for morphological analysis.
  • Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify genes and genomic features.

Main Results:

  • PMBT3 is the first reported bacteriophage infecting Pseudomonas grimontii.
  • Electron microscopy classified PMBT3 as a member of the Siphoviridae family, characterized by long, flexible whiskers.
  • The 87,196 bp double-stranded DNA genome contains 116 predicted protein-encoding genes and a putative tellurite resistance (terB) gene.
  • The genome sequence showed no significant similarity to other known phage genomes.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophage PMBT3 represents a novel phage species with a unique host range.
  • The discovery of a tellurite resistance gene in a phage genome is noteworthy and warrants further investigation.
  • The genomic and morphological data provide a foundation for future studies on PMBT3's biology and ecological role.

More Related Videos

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins09:40

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

12.4K
Establishing the Minimal Bactericidal Concentration of an Antimicrobial Agent for Planktonic Cells MBC-P and Biofilm Cells MBC-B06:36

Establishing the Minimal Bactericidal Concentration of an Antimicrobial Agent for Planktonic Cells MBC-P and Biofilm Cells MBC-B

Published on: January 2, 2014

20.2K

Related Concept Videos

DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
308
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
185
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the...
73.5K