Cultivated single-stranded DNA phages that infect marine Bacteroidetes prove difficult to detect with DNA-binding stains

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Feb;78(3):892-4. doi: 10.1128/AEM.06580-11. Epub 2011 Dec 2.

Abstract

This is the first description of cultivated icosahedral single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages isolated on heterotrophic marine bacterioplankton and with Bacteroidetes hosts. None of the 8 phages stained well with DNA-binding stains, suggesting that in situ abundances of ssDNA phages are drastically underestimated using conventional methods for enumeration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophages / genetics*
  • Bacteriophages / isolation & purification*
  • Bacteroidetes / virology*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / genetics*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / isolation & purification*
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Seawater / virology*
  • Staining and Labeling / methods
  • Viral Load
  • Virion / ultrastructure
  • Virology / methods

Substances

  • DNA, Single-Stranded