Three Cluster O mycobacteriophages isolated in Philadelphia, PA

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Mycobacterium smegmatis is a non-pathogenic species of mycobacteria, often used as a model organism in research.
• Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are crucial in regulating bacterial populations and hold potential for phage therapy.
• Actinobacteriophages are a diverse group of bacteriophages that infect actinobacteria, including mycobacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discover and characterize novel bacteriophages capable of infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis.
• To classify newly identified bacteriophages based on genomic and morphological features.
• To contribute to the growing understanding of mycobacteriophage diversity and evolution.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteriophages from soil samples collected in urban environments.
• Characterization of isolated bacteriophages, including host range determination (infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis).
• Genomic analysis to determine gene content similarity and phylogenetic placement.
• Morphological analysis, likely electron microscopy, to observe capsid structure.

Main Results:

• Discovery and isolation of three novel bacteriophages: Idergollasper, FoulBall, and Schuy.
• All three isolated phages were confirmed to infect Mycobacterium smegmatis.
• Phylogenetic analysis based on gene content similarity assigned these phages to actinobacteriophage cluster O.
• Morphological examination revealed that the phages possess prolate capsids, a common feature within cluster O.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified and characterized three new siphoviruses infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis.
• These novel bacteriophages, Idergollasper, FoulBall, and Schuy, expand the known diversity within actinobacteriophage cluster O.
• The findings support the classification of these phages within cluster O due to shared genetic and structural characteristics.