Characterization of Blf4, an Archaeal Lytic Virus Targeting a Member of the Methanomicrobiales

Viruses

Jochen Reetz¹  Ruth A. Schmitz²  Martin A. Fischer²  Katrin Weidenbach²  Anne Kupczok²  Tobias Kern³  Sandro Wolf³  Natalia Urbańska³  Michael Rother³  Sven Künzel⁴ 

[1] German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany;Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany;Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany;Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany;

关键词: archaea;    biogas;    Methanoculleus sp.;    virus;    Siphoviridae;    genome sequence;   

DOI  :  10.3390/v13101934

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Today, the number of known viruses infecting methanogenic archaea is limited. Here, we report on a novel lytic virus, designated Blf4, and its host strain Methanoculleus bourgensis E02.3, a methanogenic archaeon belonging to the Methanomicrobiales, both isolated from a commercial biogas plant in Germany. The virus consists of an icosahedral head 60 nm in diameter and a long non-contractile tail of 125 nm in length, which is consistent with the new isolate belonging to the Siphoviridae family. Electron microscopy revealed that Blf4 attaches to the vegetative cells of M. bourgensis E02.3 as well as to cellular appendages. Apart from M. bourgensis E02.3, none of the tested Methanoculleus strains were lysed by Blf4, indicating a narrow host range. The complete 37 kb dsDNA genome of Blf4 contains 63 open reading frames (ORFs), all organized in the same transcriptional direction. For most of the ORFs, potential functions were predicted. In addition, the genome of the host M. bourgensis E02.3 was sequenced and assembled, resulting in a 2.6 Mbp draft genome consisting of nine contigs. All genes required for a hydrogenotrophic lifestyle were predicted. A CRISPR/Cas system (type I-U) was identified with six spacers directed against Blf4, indicating that this defense system might not be very efficient in fending off invading Blf4 virus.

【 授权许可】

Unknown