Abstract
AP631, a virulent bacteriophage of Bacillus anthracis, is widely used in China to identify anthrax bacteria. In this study, we report the complete AP631 phage genome sequence as well as comparative genomic analysis with other bacteriophages of B. cereus and related species. The double-stranded circular DNA genome of phage AP631 was 39,549 bp in length with 35.01% G + C content. The phage genome contained 56 putative protein-coding genes but no rRNA or tRNA genes. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the phage major capsid proteins and terminase large subunits showed that phage AP631 belongs to the B. cereus sensu lato phage clade II. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a high degree of sequence similarity between phage AP631 and B. anthracis phages Wbeta, Gamma, Cherry, and Fah, as well as three AP631-specific genes bearing no significant similarity to those of other phages.
Highlights
Phages that infect prokaryotes were first reported by Frederick W
Several additional phages of B. anthracis have been isolated from sources worldwide [5, 6], including the well-known gamma, phage which is currently used as a diagnostic tool to distinguish B. anthracis from other B. cereus group members [2]
Phage AP631 was obtained from the Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Gansu Province, China, and propagated on B. anthracis strain A16R by plating on BHI agar, followed by amplification in BHI nutrient broth
Summary
Phage AP631 was obtained from the Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Gansu Province, China, and propagated on B. anthracis strain A16R by plating on BHI agar, followed by amplification in BHI nutrient broth. Bacterial cells were removed from culture supernatants by filtration through a 0.22-μm syringe filter prior to isolation of bacteriophage genomic DNA. Using a QIAGEN Lambda DNA Extraction Kit (QIAGEN, Germany) following the manufacturer’s instructions
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