Complete genome of five phages.

tailed phages Bhz9, Bhz15, Bhz16, Bhz20, and Bhz21 were isolated from wastewater samples in Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Their double-stranded DNA genomes range from 41,054 to 167,277 bp, encoding between 54 and 267 predicted genes, with a G + C content ranging from 36.4% to 48.

Evolutionary responses of Escherichia coli to phage pressure: insights into mucoidy and colanic acid overexpression.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a major issue affecting all spheres of human activity, including agriculture. One significant example is the Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), a bacterium that infects poultry and leads to substantial economic losses in the farming industry. As antibiotics lose efficacity, bacteriophages (phages) -viruses that specifically target bacteria-are emerging as a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating and preventing bacterial infections.

Complete genome of phages Carena and JoYop.

phages Carena and JoYop were isolated from water samples in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire). Their genomes comprise 39,283 and 169,193 bp, encoding 44 and 246 predicted genes, respectively. Carena shares 93.

Longitudinal Study of Phages in a Canadian Cheese Factory.

The presence of virulent phages is closely monitored during cheese manufacturing, as these bacterial viruses can significantly slow down the milk fermentation process and lead to low-quality cheeses. From 2001 to 2020, whey samples from cheddar cheese production in a Canadian factory were monitored for the presence of virulent phages capable of infecting proprietary strains of Lactococcus cremoris and Lactococcus lactis used in starter cultures. Phages were successfully isolated from 932 whey samples using standard plaque assays and several industrial strains as hosts.

DNA tandem repeats contribute to the genetic diversity of Brevibacterium aurantiacum phages.

This report presents the characterization of the first virulent phages infecting Brevibacterium aurantiacum, a bacterial species used during the manufacture of surface-ripened cheeses. These phages were also responsible for flavour and colour defects in surface-ripened cheeses. Sixteen phages (out of 62 isolates) were selected for genome sequencing and comparative analyses.

Complete Genome Sequences for Two Strains Infecting Cyanobacteria in a Subarctic Lake.

We isolated two closely related strains that belong to the family and infect cyanobacteria in a shallow subarctic rock basin lake. Their host was identified as a member of the complex. Sequenced genomes of the two phages were 244,930 bp and 243,633 bp.

Author Correction: A mutation in the methionine aminopeptidase gene provides phage resistance in Streptococcus thermophilus.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A mutation in the methionine aminopeptidase gene provides phage resistance in Streptococcus thermophilus.

Streptococcus thermophilus is a lactic acid bacterium widely used by the dairy industry for the manufacture of yogurt and specialty cheeses. It is also a Gram-positive bacterial model to study phage-host interactions. CRISPR-Cas systems are one of the most prevalent phage resistance mechanisms in S.

Mobilome of Sheds Light on Its Genetic Diversity and Its Adaptation to Smear-Ripened Cheeses.

is an actinobacterium that confers key organoleptic properties to washed-rind cheeses during the ripening process. Although this industrially relevant species has been gaining an increasing attention in the past years, its genome plasticity is still understudied due to the unavailability of complete genomic sequences. To add insights on the mobilome of this group, we sequenced the complete genomes of five dairy strains and one non-dairy strain using PacBio RSII.

Characterization of the Virulent Myophage ST32.

The virulent phage ST32 that infects the strain ST130 was isolated from a wastewater sample in China and analyzed. Morphological observations showed that phage ST32 belongs to the family, as it has an icosahedral capsid and long contractile tail. Host range analysis showed that it exhibits a broad range of hosts including non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains.

CRISPRStudio: A User-Friendly Software for Rapid CRISPR Array Visualization.

The CRISPR-Cas system biologically serves as an adaptive defense mechanism against phages. However, there is growing interest in exploiting the hypervariable nature of the CRISPR locus, often of viral origin, for microbial typing and tracking. Moreover, the spacer content of any given strain provides a phage resistance profile.

The Tape Measure Protein Is Involved in the Heat Stability of Lactococcus lactis Phages.

Virulent lactococcal phages are still a major risk for milk fermentation processes as they may lead to slowdowns and low-quality fermented dairy products, particularly cheeses. Some of the phage control strategies used by the industry rely on heat treatments. Recently, a few phages were found to be highly thermo-resistant.

Characterization of prophages of Lactococcus garvieae.

This report describes the morphological characterization and genome analysis of an induced prophage (PLg-TB25) from a dairy strain of Lactococcus garvieae. The phage belongs to the Siphoviridae family and its morphology is typical of other lactococcal phages. A general analysis of its genome did not reveal similarities with other lactococcal phage genomes, confirming its novelty.

Characterization of two polyvalent phages infecting Enterobacteriaceae.

Bacteriophages display remarkable genetic diversity and host specificity. In this study, we explore phages infecting bacterial strains of the Enterobacteriaceae family because of their ability to infect related but distinct hosts. We isolated and characterized two novel virulent phages, SH6 and SH7, using a strain of Shigella flexneri as host bacterium.

Complete Genome Sequence of Brevibacterium linens SMQ-1335.

Brevibacterium linens is one of the main bacteria found in the smear of surface-ripened cheeses. The genome of the industrial strain SMQ-1335 was sequenced using PacBio. It has 4,209,935 bp, a 62.

Phosphorylation, an Altruistic Bacterial Trick to Halt Phages.

Bacterial genomic islands contain hidden treasures. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Depardieu et al. (2016) found, in one of those islands, an altruistic anti-phage system that is triggered by a phage component and induces a phosphorylation cascade leading to protection of the bacterial population.

Characterization of Five Podoviridae Phages Infecting Citrobacter freundii.

Citrobacter freundii causes opportunistic infections in humans and animals, which are becoming difficult to treat due to increased antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to explore phages as potential antimicrobial agents against this opportunistic pathogen. We isolated and characterized five new virulent phages, SH1, SH2, SH3, SH4, and SH5 from sewage samples in Tunisia.

Programming Native CRISPR Arrays for the Generation of Targeted Immunity.

Unlabelled: The adaptive immune system of prokaryotes, called CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated genes), results in specific cleavage of invading nucleic acid sequences recognized by the cell's "memory" of past encounters. Here, we exploited the properties of native CRISPR-Cas systems to program the natural "memorization" process, efficiently generating immunity not only to a bacteriophage or plasmid but to any specifically chosen DNA sequence.

Importance: CRISPR-Cas systems have entered the public consciousness as genome editing tools due to their readily programmable nature.

Genomic Diversity of Phages Infecting Probiotic Strains of Lactobacillus paracasei.

Strains of the Lactobacillus casei group have been extensively studied because some are used as probiotics in foods. Conversely, their phages have received much less attention. We analyzed the complete genome sequences of five L.

A virulent phage infecting Lactococcus garvieae, with homology to Lactococcus lactis phages.

A new virulent phage belonging to the Siphoviridae family and able to infect Lactococcus garvieae strains was isolated from compost soil. Phage GE1 has a prolate capsid (56 by 38 nm) and a long noncontractile tail (123 nm). It had a burst size of 139 and a latent period of 31 min.

Complete Genome Sequence of Streptococcus thermophilus SMQ-301, a Model Strain for Phage-Host Interactions.

Streptococcus thermophilus is used by the dairy industry to manufacture yogurt and several cheeses. Using PacBio and Illumina platforms, we sequenced the genome of S. thermophilus SMQ-301, the host of several virulent phages.

Investigating the requirement for calcium during lactococcal phage infection.

Calcium is widely used in the study and successful propagation of virulent bacteriophages infecting lactic acid bacteria; however, it has not been assessed if and why this divalent cation is required for the infection process. Lactococcal phages are a persistent problem in the calcium-rich dairy environment and therefore were used as the model for this study. Using representative members of nine of the currently recognized ten lactococcal phage groups, encompassing phages of the Podoviridae and Siphoviridae families, we present data to suggest that calcium is not an explicit requirement for many of these phages.

A new Microviridae phage isolated from a failed biotechnological process driven by Escherichia coli.

Bacteriophages are present in every environment that supports bacterial growth, including man made ecological niches. Virulent phages may even slow or, in more severe cases, interrupt bioprocesses driven by bacteria. Escherichia coli is one of the most widely used bacteria for large-scale bioprocesses; however, literature describing phage-host interactions in this industrial context is sparse.

First Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus xylosus, a Meat Starter Culture and a Host to Propagate Staphylococcus aureus Phages.

Staphylococcus xylosus is a bacterial species used in meat fermentation and a commensal microorganism found on animals. We present the first complete circular genome from this species. The genome is composed of 2,757,557 bp, with a G+C content of 32.

Inactivation of dairy bacteriophages by commercial sanitizers and disinfectants.

Many commercial sanitizers and disinfectants have been used over the years to control microbial contamination but their efficacy on phages is often unknown. Here, 23 commercial chemical products, including 21 food-grade sanitizers were tested against virulent dairy phages. These food-grade chemicals included oxidizing agents, halogenated agents, alcohols, quaternary ammonium compounds, anionic acids, iodine-based acids, and an amphoteric chemical.