Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Pages: 573260-

Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology

Volume number: 11

ISSN: 1664-302X

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.573260

Publisher: Frontiers Media

Abstract: 
Species of the genusShewanellaare widespread in nature in various habitats, however, little is known about phages affectingShewanellasp. Here, we report the isolation of phages from diverse freshwater environments that infect and lyse strains ofShewanella oneidensisand otherShewanellasp. Sequence analysis and microscopic imaging strongly indicate that these phages form a so far unclassified genus, now namedShewanellaphage Thanatos, which can be positioned within the subfamily ofTevenvirinae(Duplodnaviria;Heunggongvirae;Uroviricota;Caudoviricetes;Caudovirales;Myoviridae;Tevenvirinae). We characterized one member of this group in more detail usingS. oneidensisMR-1 as a host.Shewanellaphage Thanatos-1 possesses a prolate icosahedral capsule of about 110 nm in height and 70 nm in width and a tail of about 95 nm in length. The dsDNA genome exhibits a GC content of about 34.5%, has a size of 160.6 kbp and encodes about 206 proteins (92 with an annotated putative function) and two tRNAs. Out of those 206, MS analyses identified about 155 phage proteins in PEG-precipitated samples of infected cells. Phage attachment likely requires the outer lipopolysaccharide ofS. oneidensis, narrowing the phage's host range. Under the applied conditions, about 20 novel phage particles per cell were produced after a latent period of approximately 40 min, which are stable at a pH range from 4 to 12 and resist temperatures up to 55 degrees C for at least 24 h. Addition of Thanatos toS. oneidensisresults in partial dissolution of established biofilms, however, early exposure of planktonic cells to Thanatos significantly enhances biofilm formation. Taken together, we identified a novel genus of Myophages affectingS. oneidensiscommunities in different ways.

Harvard Citation style: Kreienbaum, M., Dörrich, A., Brandt, D., Schmid, N., Leonhard, T., Hager, F., et al. (2020) Isolation and Characterization of Shewanella Phage Thanatos Infecting and Lysing Shewanella oneidensis and Promoting Nascent Biofilm Formation, Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, Article 573260. p. 573260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.573260

APA Citation style: Kreienbaum, M., Dörrich, A., Brandt, D., Schmid, N., Leonhard, T., Hager, F., Brenzinger, S., Hahn, J., Glatter, T., Ruwe, M., Briegel, A., Kalinowski, J., & Thormann, K. (2020). Isolation and Characterization of Shewanella Phage Thanatos Infecting and Lysing Shewanella oneidensis and Promoting Nascent Biofilm Formation. Frontiers in Microbiology. 11, Article 573260, 573260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.573260