Abstract
Many bacteriophages (phages) have been widely studied due to their major role in virulence evolution of bacterial pathogens. However, less attention has been paid to phages preying on bacteria from the Bacillus cereus group and their contribution to the bacterial genetic pool has been disregarded. Therefore, this review brings together the main information for the B. cereus group phages, from their discovery to their modern biotechnological applications. A special focus is given to phages infecting Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis. These phages belong to the Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, Podoviridae and Tectiviridae families. For the sake of clarity, several phage categories have been made according to significant characteristics such as lifestyles and lysogenic states. The main categories comprise the transducing phages, phages with a chromosomal or plasmidial prophage state, γ-like phages and jumbo-phages. The current genomic characterization of some of these phages is also addressed throughout this work and some promising applications are discussed here.
Highlights
Many bacteriophages have been widely studied due to their major role in virulence evolution of bacterial pathogens
The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main phages that have been described in this bacterial group from a genome-base perspective, with a special focus on phages preying on B. anthracis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis
47 tectiviruses were found using genomic variable regions in a worldwide collection of strains belonging to the B. cereus group and this study showed that a greater diversity than previously thought exists in tectiviruses infecting Gram-positive bacteria [187]
Summary
―A strong feeling of adventure is animating those who are working on bacterial viruses, a feeling that they have a small part in the great drive towards a fundamental problem in biology‖. Approximately one decade ago, the interest in phages thriving in the B. cereus group revived, bringing to the table the question of whether and how these phages can contribute to the genetic diversity and niche adaptation observed in this lineage of bacteria. Seven major phylogenetic subdivisions can be distinguished among the members of B. cereus s.l., with strains of B. cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. anthracis intermingled in these phylogenetic clusters [32,33,34] To further complicate this matter, various mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer (i.e., conjugation and/or transduction) are thought to have contributed to the emergence of the different ecotypes and pathotypes displayed by the B. cereus group, making the boundaries between the species blurred
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