Insights from Shigella bacteriophage genomes analysis

Shigella species, a major cause of shigellosis, remain a substantial global health issue and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Shigella strains has aggravated the situation. Hence, four Shigella phages were investigated to provide insights into the evolutionary trajectories and genomic properties of Shigella-infecting bacteriophages using comparative genome analysis. Analysis shows that these four phages belong to the Tequatrovirus genus and include a considerable number of proteins for 'Tail' and "DNA, RNA and Nucleotide Metabolism," indicating their aptitude for specialized host interaction and replication efficiency. The identification of 10 tRNAs further support that, these phages have high replication efficiency. Thus, this study improves our understanding of phage evolution by exposing the genetic mechanisms that drive phage adaptability and host specificity. This also highlights the significance of phage genomic research in developing viable therapies for antibiotic-resistant Shigella infections.