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Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
09:40

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

Frequency of morphological phage descriptions in 1995

H W Ackermann1

  • 1Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Department ofMicrobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Cananda.

Archives of Virology
|January 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Electron microscopy reveals over 4500 bacterial viruses, with 96% being tailed phages. The Siphoviridae family, characterized by long, noncontractile tails, comprises 60% of these tailed viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, are crucial in microbial ecology and biotechnology.
  • Electron microscopy has been instrumental in classifying viral morphology since 1959.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To catalog and classify bacterial viruses based on morphology and host range.
  • To analyze the distribution of different phage morphotypes across bacterial genera.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of electron microscopy studies of bacterial viruses.
  • Classification of phages based on established morphotypes (tailed, cubic, filamentous, pleomorphic).
  • Compilation of phage families and their associated bacterial host genera.

Main Results:

  • Over 4500 bacterial viruses have been characterized via electron microscopy.
  • Tailed phages constitute 96% of the examined viruses, while cubic, filamentous, and pleomorphic forms represent 4%.
  • Phages encompass 12 virus families and infect approximately 130 bacterial genera, with Siphoviridae (long, noncontractile tails) being the most abundant tailed phage group (60%).

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial viruses exhibit significant morphological diversity, dominated by tailed structures.
  • The classification provides a comprehensive overview of phage families and their hosts, highlighting the prevalence of Siphoviridae.
  • This systematic classification aids in understanding phage-host interactions and their ecological roles.

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