title: Genome analysis of two virulent Streptococcus thermophilus phages isolated in Argentina.
abstract: Two Streptococcus thermophilus phages (ALQ13.2 and phiAbc2) were previously isolated from breakdowns of cheese manufacture in Argentina. Complete nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that both phages contained linear double-stranded DNA: 35,525 bp in length for the pac-type phage ALQ13.2 and 34,882 bp for the cos-type phage phiAbc2. Forty-four and 48 open reading frames (ORF) were identified for ALQ13.2 and phiAbc2, respectively. Comparative genomic analysis showed that these isolates shared many similarities with the eight previously studied cos- and pac-phages infecting different S. thermophilus strains. In particular, part of the phiAbc2 genome was highly similar to a region of phage 7201, which was thought to be unique to this latter phage. Protein analysis of the pac-phage ALQ13.2 using SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) identified three major proteins and seven minor proteins. Parallel structural proteome analysis of phiAbc2 revealed seven protein bands, two of which were related to major structural proteins, as expected for a cos-type phage. Similarities to other S. thermophilus phages suggest that the streptococcal phage diversity is not extensive in worldwide dairy factories possibly because related high-performing bacterial strains are used in starter cultures.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Lactología Industrial (INLAIN, UNL-CONICET), Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina. dgugliel@fiq.unl.edu.ar
authors.forename: Daniela M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Guglielmotti
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deveau
authors.forename: Ana G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reinheimer
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moineau
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quiberoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020543:Proteome; D018741:Replication Origin / Q000235:genetics; D017108:Streptococcus Phages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D048249:Streptococcus thermophilus / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome