Introducing Two New Bacteriophages Isolated Using Arthrobacter globiformis : BlueShadow and Schaffner

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Virology
• Bacteriophage Research
• Genomics

Background:

• Soil harbors a vast diversity of microbial life, including bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria).
• Bacteriophages play crucial roles in regulating bacterial populations and shaping microbial communities.
• Understanding phage diversity and lifestyle is essential for various applications, including phage therapy and synthetic biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel bacteriophages from North Dakota soil.
• To determine the phylogenetic placement of newly discovered phages based on genomic similarity.
• To infer the lifestyle (temperate or lytic) of the isolated phages.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteriophages from soil samples using the host bacterium *Arthrobacter globiformis B-2979*.
• Genomic analysis and comparison to assign phages to known clusters.
• Identification of conserved genes, such as integrase, to predict phage lifestyle.

Main Results:

• Two new bacteriophages, named BlueShadow and Schaffner, were successfully isolated.
• BlueShadow was assigned to actinobacteriophage cluster AY, and Schaffner to cluster AZ1 based on gene content.
• Both phages possess a putative integrase gene, a hallmark of temperate phages.

Conclusions:

• The discovery of BlueShadow and Schaffner expands the known diversity of actinobacteriophages.
• The presence of conserved integrase genes strongly suggests that both phages exhibit a temperate lifestyle.
• These findings provide a foundation for future studies on the biology and potential applications of these novel phages.