Characterization of a lytic cyanophage that infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Sigitas Šulčius; Eugenijus Šimoliūnas; Juozas Staniulis; Judita Koreivienė; Paulius Baltrušis; Rolandas Meškys; Ričardas Paškauskas

doi:10.1093/femsec/fiu012

Characterization of a lytic cyanophage that infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2015 Feb;91(2):1-7. doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiu012. Epub 2014 Dec 5.

Authors

Sigitas Šulčius¹, Eugenijus Šimoliūnas², Juozas Staniulis³, Judita Koreivienė⁴, Paulius Baltrušis⁵, Rolandas Meškys², Ričardas Paškauskas⁶

Affiliations

¹ Marine Science and Technology Centre, Klaipeda University, Herkaus Manto str. 84, LT-92294 Klaipeda, Lithuania sigitas.sulcius@gmail.com.
² Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Mokslininku str. 12, LT-08662 Vilnius, Lithuania.
³ Laboratory of Plant Viruses, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Mokslininku str. 12, LT-08662 Vilnius, Lithuania.
⁴ Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania.
⁵ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio str. 21/27, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
⁶ 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.

PMID: 25764544
DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiu012

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.

Keywords: Baltic Sea; Curonian Lagoon; Siphoviridae.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aphanizomenon / isolation & purification
Aphanizomenon / virology*
Bacteriophages / genetics*
Bacteriophages / physiology*
Estuaries
Water Microbiology