title: Characterization of a lytic cyanophage that infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.
abstract: Vb-AphaS-CL131 is a novel cyanosiphovirus that infects harmful Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. This cyanophage has an isometric head, 97 nm in diameter and a long, flexible non-contractile tail, 361 nm long. With a genome size of ~120 kb, it is the second largest cyanosiphovirus isolated to date. The latent period was estimated to be ~36 h and a single infected cell produces, on average, 218 infectious cyanophages. Cyanophage infection significantly suppresses host biomass production and alters population phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Marine Science and Technology Centre, Klaipeda University, Herkaus Manto str. 84, LT-92294 Klaipeda, Lithuania sigitas.sulcius@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sigitas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Šulčius
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Mokslininku str. 12, LT-08662 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Eugenijus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Šimoliūnas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Viruses, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Mokslininku str. 12, LT-08662 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Juozas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Staniulis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Judita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koreivienė
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio str. 21/27, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Paulius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baltrušis
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Mokslininku str. 12, LT-08662 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rolandas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meškys
authors.affiliation: Marine Science and Technology Centre, Klaipeda University, Herkaus Manto str. 84, LT-92294 Klaipeda, Lithuania Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Ričardas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paškauskas
mesh_terms: D046890:Aphanizomenon / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000821:virology*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D063366:Estuaries; D014871:Water Microbiology
keywords: Baltic Sea; Curonian Lagoon; Siphoviridae