Expanding the Phage Galaxy: Isolation and Characterization of Five Novel Siphoviruses Ankus, Byblos, DekoNeimoidia, Mandalore, and Naboo.

BACKGROUND

Key features of the actinobacterial genus are multicellular, filamentous growth, and production of a broad portfolio of bioactive molecules. These characteristics appear to play an important role in phage-host interactions and are modulated by phages during infection. To accelerate research of such interactions and the investigation of novel immune systems in multicellular bacteria, phage isolation, sequencing, and characterization are needed. This is a prerequisite for establishing systematic collections that appropriately cover phage diversity for comparative analyses.

MATERIAL & METHODS: As part of a public outreach program within the priority program SPP 2330, involving local schools, we describe the isolation and characterization of five novel siphoviruses infecting , , and .

RESULTS

All isolates are virulent members of two existing genera and, additionally, establish a new genus in the family. In addition to an extensive set of tRNAs and proteins involved in phage replication, about 80% of phage genes encode hypothetical proteins, underlining the yet underexplored phage diversity and genomic dark matter still found in bacteriophages infecting actinobacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, phages Ankus, Byblos, DekoNeimoidia, Mandalore, and Naboo expand the phage diversity and contribute to ongoing research in the field of phage-host interactions.