title: Low-temperature bacterial viruses VR - a small but diverse group of E. coli phages.
abstract: The complete genome sequences of four low-temperature Escherichia coli-specific tevenviruses, vb_EcoM-VR5, vb_EcoM-VR20, vb_EcoM-VR25 and vb_EcoM-VR26, were determined. Genomic comparisons including recently described genomes of vb_EcoM-VR7 and JS98 as well as phage T4 allowed the identification of two genetic groups that were consistent with defined host-range phenotypes. Group A included the broad-host-range phages vb_EcoM-VR5 and JS98, while group B included vb_EcoM-VR7, vb_EcoM-VR20, vb_EcoM-VR25 and vb_EcoM-VR26, which all had somewhat limited host ranges. All four sequenced phages had genomes that were similar in length (~170 kb) and GC content (~40 %), and, with the exception of vb_EcoM-VR5, at the nucleotide level, they were much more closely related to each other than either was to any other tevenvirus currently characterized. Nevertheless, the overall genome organization of vb_EcoM-VR5, vb_EcoM-VR20, vb_EcoM-VR25 and vb_EcoM-VR26 was comparable to that seen in tevenviruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Mokslininkų 12, 08662, Vilnius, Lithuania, laura.kaliniene@bchi.vu.lt.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaliniene
authors.forename: Aurelija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zajančkauskaitė
authors.forename: Eugenijus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Šimoliūnas
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Truncaitė
authors.forename: Rolandas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meškys
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003090:Coliphages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000821:virology; D058507:Host Specificity; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology