title: Whole-genome sequencing and gene mapping of a newly isolated lytic enterococcal bacteriophage EFRM31.
abstract: Bacteriophages contribute greatly to bacterial evolution. There has been limited investigation of enterococcal bacteriophages, and only two enterococcal bacteriophages have been sequenced completely. In this study, a novel enterococcal bacteriophage, EFRM31, was isolated from a piggery effluent sample and then characterized. The complete bacteriophage genome was determined by shotgun sequencing. EFRM31 belongs to the family Siphoviridae (order Caudovirales) and has a circular double-stranded DNA genome. The putative EFRM31 genome consists of 16945 nucleotides with a low GC content (34.5%) and does not contain CpG islands. The EFRM31 genome contains 82 putative open reading frames, including 17 with identities to genes required for the assembly of a head-tail bacteriophage and 6 hypothetical proteins of unknown function. In general, the sequencing results from EFRM31 revealed considerable similarity to another enterococcal bacteriophage, EFAP-1. This identity and the order of shared genes suggest a close relationship or a common ancestor for these two bacteriophages.
authors.affiliation: Sansom Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Ramin Mazaheri Nezhad
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fard
authors.forename: Mary D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Heuzenroeder
mesh_terms: D016983:Enterococcus / Q000821:virology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017906:Siphoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*