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Three Cluster O mycobacteriophages isolated in Philadelphia, PA

Alexander DiGiacomo1, Nicole Bowen1, Thientrinh Nguyen1

  • 1Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Micropublication Biology
|November 28, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Researchers discovered three new bacteriophages that infect Mycobacterium smegmatis. These siphoviruses, isolated from urban soil, are part of actinobacteriophage cluster O and possess characteristic prolate capsids.

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.

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