Abstract
In the rhizosphere, bacteria–phage interactions are likely to have important impacts on the ecology of microbial communities and microbe–plant interactions. To better understand the dynamics of Agrobacteria–phage interactions, we have isolated diverse bacteriophages which infect the bacterial plant pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Here, we complete the genomic characterization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens phages Atu_ph04 and Atu_ph08. Atu_ph04—a T4-like phage belonging to the Myoviridae family—was isolated from waste water and has a 143,349 bp genome that encodes 223 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph04 is a member of a newly described T4 superfamily that contains other Rhizobiales-infecting phages. Atu_ph08, a member of the Podoviridae T7-like family, was isolated from waste water, has a 59,034 bp genome, and encodes 75 ORFs. Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph08 may form a new T7 superfamily which includes Sinorhizobium phage PCB5 and Ochrobactrum phage POI1126. Atu_ph08 is predicted to have lysogenic activity, as we found evidence of an integrase and several transcriptional repressors with similarity to proteins in transducing phage P22. Together, this data suggests that Agrobacterium phages are diverse in morphology, genomic content, and lifestyle.
Highlights
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen that causes damage to crops worldwide [1].This gram-negative bacterium transforms plant cells, which results in overproliferation of host cells, causing crown gall disease in the form of tumors that block the plant from receiving proper nutrients.The interactions between Agrobacterium and plants have been studied extensively, leading to innovations in plant biotechnology [2,3]
Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains were cultured in Lysogeny Broth (LB), with the exception of A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404, which was grown in yeast mannitol (YM) medium
Agrobacterium vitis was cultured using potato dextrose media (Difco), Rhizobium rhizogenes was grown in mannitol glutamate yeast (MGY) medium, and Caulobacter crescentus was grown in peptone-yeast extract (PYE) medium [14]
Summary
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen that causes damage to crops worldwide [1]. This gram-negative bacterium transforms plant cells, which results in overproliferation of host cells, causing crown gall disease in the form of tumors that block the plant from receiving proper nutrients. Studies of bacteriophages that prey upon bacterial plant pathogens such as Agrobacterium should reveal effective biocontrol strategies for host cell killing that can be exploited to limit phytopathogenesis [4,5]. We sought to further explore the diversity of phages that infect Agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are four characterized lytic phages that infect Agrobacterium: 7-7-1 [9], Atu_ph and. Viruses 2019, 11, 528 phages, Atu_ph and Atu_ph, and compare them to related phages, including the extensively characterized Escherichia phages T4 [12,13] and P1
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
