Genomic Diversity of Bacteriophages Infecting the Genus .

The number of sequenced phage genomes in the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration has increased significantly in recent years, from 37 in 2017 to a total of 139 as of January 2021 with genome sizes ranging from 31 to 378 kb. Here, we explored the genetic diversity of the phages using comparative genomics approaches that included assessment of nucleotide similarity, shared gene content, single gene phylogeny, and the network-based classification tool vConTACT2. Phages infecting are genetically diverse and can be grouped into 8 clusters (subfamilies) and 46 sub-clusters (genera), of which 8 represent genomic singletons (additional genera). We propose the creation of five new subfamilies and suggest a reorganisation of the genus . These results provide an updated view of the viruses infecting species, providing insights into their diversity.