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Phages infecting Clostridium sporogenes
Joanna P Steczynska1, Kaleb W Jackson1, Kelly P Williams1
1Systems Biology Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, USA.
Microbiology Resource Announcements
|November 12, 2025
Summary
Researchers identified bacteriophages that infect Clostridium sporogenes, a common environmental bacterium and gut commensal. Thirty unique phage genomes were discovered, belonging to three distinct species, offering new insights into phage diversity.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Bacteriology
Background:
- Clostridium sporogenes is a ubiquitous, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium.
- This bacterium is commonly found in the environment and is associated with food spoilage.
- C. sporogenes also exists as a commensal organism within the mammalian gut microbiome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize bacteriophages capable of infecting Clostridium sporogenes.
- To determine the genomic diversity of isolated phages.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of bacteriophages from environmental samples.
- Infection assays to confirm phage activity against C. sporogenes.
- Whole-genome sequencing of isolated phages.
Main Results:
- Successful isolation of multiple bacteriophages targeting C. sporogenes.
- Identification of 30 unique phage genomes.
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolated phages fall into three distinct congeneric species.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the existence of a diverse phage population targeting C. sporogenes.
- These findings contribute to our understanding of phage-host interactions within the context of environmental and gut microbiomes.
- The characterized phages represent potential tools for future applications, such as phage therapy or microbial control.
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