Flint Hills Phages: Isolation Parameters and Genomic Characteristics of 23 Phages

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria.
• Actinobacteriophages are bacteriophages that infect actinobacteria.
• Characterizing novel bacteriophages is crucial for understanding microbial ecosystems and developing phage-based applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the isolation and initial characterization of 24 novel bacteriophages.
• To describe the genomic diversity and host range of these newly identified phages.
• To contribute to the growing database of actinobacteriophages.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteriophages using specific host strains: Mycobacterium smegmatis mc²155, Microbacterium foliorum NRRL B-24224, and Gordonia terrae CAG3.
• Genomic analysis to determine genome length and diversity.
• Morphological characterization (e.g., myovirus morphology).

Main Results:

• Successfully isolated 24 distinct bacteriophages.
• The phages represent 19 different genomic clusters.
• Genome lengths varied significantly, ranging from 41.8 kbp to 151.1 kbp.
• Phage CherryTomatoes, isolated from Gordonia terrae, exhibits myovirus morphology, being the fourth such reported case.

Conclusions:

• The study expands the known diversity of actinobacteriophages.
• The characterized phages provide valuable genetic resources for further research.
• Phage CherryTomatoes adds to the understanding of myovirus morphology in actinobacteriophages infecting Gordonia terrae.