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Bacillus phage phi18-2 is a novel temperate virus with an unintegrated genome present in the cytoplasm of lysogenic cells as a linear phage-plasmid

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Abstract

Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is widely used in fermentation and in the pharmaceutical industry. Phage contamination occasionally occurs in various fermentation processes and causes significant economic loss. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a temperate B. subtilis phage, termed phi18-2, from spore powder manufactured in a fermentation plant. Transmission electron microscopy showed that phi18-2 has a symmetrical polyhedral head and a long noncontractile tail. Receptor analysis showed that phi18-2 recognizes wall teichoic acid (WTA) for infection. The phage virions have a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 64,467 bp with identical direct repeat sequences of 309 bp at each end of the genome. In lysogenic cells, the phage genome was found to be present in the cytoplasm without integration into the host cell chromosome, and possibly as a linear phage-plasmid with unmodified ends. Our data may provide some insight into the molecular basis of the unique lysogenic cycle of phage phi18-2.

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All data supporting the conclusions of the study are included in the manuscript.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 31970150).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China

    Yutong Li, Yansheng Huo, Donghang Li, Zhiqiang Zhang & Hongjiang Yang

  2. Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd., Shandong, 251700, China

    Li Liang

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  1. Yutong Li
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  4. Donghang Li
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Contributions

Yutong Li and Hongjiang Yang designed the research. Yutong Li, Yansheng Huo, Li Liang, and Donghang Li conducted the experiments. Yutong Li analyzed data and wrote the draft. Hongjiang Yang wrote and refined the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hongjiang Yang.

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Li, Y., Huo, Y., Liang, L. et al. Bacillus phage phi18-2 is a novel temperate virus with an unintegrated genome present in the cytoplasm of lysogenic cells as a linear phage-plasmid. Arch Virol 169, 81 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-024-06014-6

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