Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
09:40
Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
Published on: June 11, 2015
12.9K
Characterization of Phylogenetically Distinct Temperate Phages from Kenyan Mammaliicoccus sciuri
Jérémy D R Cherbuin1,2,3, Jaime Llodrá4, Loïc Borcard5
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology (IVB), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
PHAGE (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
|February 26, 2026
Summary
Eight new siphoviruses were discovered in dog and camel Mammaliicoccus sciuri. This finding reveals significant temperate phage diversity in animal-associated bacteria, impacting our understanding of bacterial evolution and pathogenicity.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Genomics
Background:
- Temperate bacteriophages are crucial in bacterial evolution and pathogenicity.
- Their characterization is limited in nonclinical Staphylococcaceae, especially Mammaliicoccus sciuri.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate temperate bacteriophages in Mammaliicoccus sciuri.
- To characterize novel phages isolated from animal-associated M. sciuri strains.
Main Methods:
- Induction of prophages from 26 M. sciuri strains.
- Whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, electron microscopy, and host-range determination of isolated phages.
Main Results:
- Isolation of eight novel siphoviruses.
- Phylogenomic analysis identified two new phage families and two genera.
- One family exhibited broad host range; the other related to phages involved in horizontal gene transfer.
Conclusions:
- Unexpected diversity of temperate phages in M. sciuri was revealed.
- This expands knowledge of phage distribution in animal-associated opportunistic pathogens.
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