Abstract
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies provide unique possibilities for the comprehensive assessment of the environmental diversity of bacteriophages. Several Bacillus bacteriophages have been isolated, but very few Bacillus megaterium bacteriophages have been characterized. In this study, we describe the biological characteristics, whole genome sequences, and annotations for two new isolates of the B. megaterium bacteriophages (BM5 and BM10), which were isolated from Egyptian soil samples. Growth analyses indicated that the phages BM5 and BM10 have a shorter latent period (25 and 30 min, respectively) and a smaller burst size (103 and 117 PFU, respectively), in comparison to what is typical for Bacillus phages. The genome sizes of the phages BM5 and BM10 were 165,031 bp and 165,213 bp, respectively, with modular organization. Bioinformatic analyses of these genomes enabled the assignment of putative functions to 97 and 65 putative ORFs, respectively. Comparative analysis of the BM5 and BM10 genome structures, in conjunction with other B. megaterium bacteriophages, revealed relatively high levels of sequence and organizational identity. Both genomic comparisons and phylogenetic analyses support the conclusion that the sequenced phages (BM5 and BM10) belong to different sub-clusters (L5 and L7, respectively), within the L-cluster, and display different lifestyles (lysogenic and lytic, respectively). Moreover, sequenced phages encode proteins associated with Bacillus pathogenesis. In addition, BM5 does not contain any tRNA sequences, whereas BM10 genome codes for 17 tRNAs.
Highlights
Bacillus megaterium (Firmicutes) is ubiquitous in nature
To assess the ability of both phages (BM5 and BM10) to lyse B. megaterium, the latent and rise periods and the burst sizes of each phage were determined by a single-step growth curve analysis (Fig. 1)
A comparison of the translated BLAST data (Altschul et al, 1990) from the two genome sequences revealed that they shared a high level of overall similarity; conserved regions reached 91% identity, Figure 1 Single-step growth curve of BM5 and BM10 bacteriophages
Summary
Bacillus megaterium (Firmicutes) is ubiquitous in nature. It is recognized as an endophyte and a potential biocontrol agent for plant diseases (Kildea et al, 2008). Bacteriophages (phages) are the most abundant biological entities present on the planet (Hambly & Suttle, 2005) Their capacity to infect and kill their hosts makes them an important factor driving the bacterial evolution and preservation of the ecological balance (Chan, Abedon & Loc-Carrillo, 2013; Singh, Poshtiban & Evoy, 2013). Numerous bacteriophages that infect and lyse B. megaterium have been studied (Cooney, Jacob & Slepecky, 1975; Carvalho & Vary, 1977; Vary & Halsey, 1980; Van Elsas & Penido, 1982; Serwer et al, 2007; Eppinger et al, 2011) These phages possess double-stranded, linear DNA genomes (Van Elsas, Linhares & Penido, 1982)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
