Characterization of a new Streptomyces temperate phage whose awakening mediates multicellular bacteria dispersal
Streptomyces are prolific producers of specialized metabolites with applications in medicine and agriculture. In this study, we revealed the expression conditions of this prophage, and thereby the first characterization of a phage from Streptomyces ambofaciens species, which we named 'Samy'. This phage is produced under metabolic stress, in a context of awakening of other mobile genetic elements. We sequenced Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC 23877 virome after 4 days in BM medium (1 g/l yeast extract, 1 g/l meat/beef extract, 2 g/l bactotryptone, pH 7.3). Only a single phage from Siphoviridae family was produced in this condition. The exploration of the impact of Samy phage on the bacterial physiology allowed to report an original phenotype related to bacterial dispersal in response to stress. This effect is closely related to the multicellular nature of these bacteria, and constitutes an emergent aspect associated with the viral infection that is likely to promote the spread of the species.