title: The SPO1-related bacteriophages.
abstract: A large and diverse group of bacteriophages has been termed 'SPO1-like viruses'. To date, molecular data and genome sequences are available for Bacillus phage SPO1 and eight related phages infecting members of other bacterial genera. Many additional bacteriophages have been described as SPO1-related, but very few data are available for most of them. We present an overview of putative 'SPO1-like viruses' and shall discuss the available data in view of the recently proposed expansion of this group of bacteriophages to the tentative subfamily Spounavirinae. Characteristics of SPO1-related phages include (a) the host organisms are Firmicutes; (b) members are strictly virulent myoviruses; (c) all phages feature common morphological properties; (d) the phage genome consists of a terminally redundant, non-permuted dsDNA molecule of 127-157 kb in size; and (e) phages share considerable amino acid homology. The number of phages isolated consistent with these parameters is large, suggesting a ubiquitous nature of this group of viruses.
authors: Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, Zurich, Switzerland. jklumpp@ethz.ch
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Klumpp
authors: Rob
authors: R
authors: Lavigne
authors: Martin J
authors: MJ
authors: Loessner
authors: Hans-Wolfgang
authors: HW
authors: Ackermann
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000821:virology*; D017900:Myoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins