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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #355185
Research Project: Ecology and Detection of Human Pathogens in the Produce Production Continuum

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli phage vB_EcoM Sa157lw, isolated from surface water collected in Salinas, California

Author
item LIU, FANG - Ocean University Of China
item Liao, Yen-Te
item Li, Robert
item Wu, Vivian

Submitted to: Microbiology Resource Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2019
Publication Date: 8/22/2019
Citation: Liu, F., Liao, Y., Li, R.W., Wu, V.C. 2019. Complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli phage vB_EcoM Sa157lw, isolated from surface water collected in Salinas, California. Microbiology Resource Announcements. 8:e00718-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00718-19.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00718-19

Interpretive Summary: Lytic phages have been found to be an alternative and promising method to replace the use of antibiotics to control Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), particularly STEC O157:H7, to improve food safety. Here, we isolated a novel phage—Escherichia phage vB_EcoM Sa157lw—from a produce-growing area in Salinas Valley. The genome size of the phage was 155,887 bp with guanine-cytosine content of 44.94%. The taxonomy of the phage was classified in the family Myoviridae: a phage with a contractile tail structure. The genome annotation predicted a total of 195 genes in which 4 were tRNA and 55 encoding functional proteins, including those associated with cell lysis, phage structural components, DNA packaging and replication. Furthermore, no virulence gene was found. This phage genome provides valuable insights into the diversity to those lytic bacteriophages and should facilitate development of the intervention technology to prevent the spread of STEC O157.

Technical Abstract: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157: H7 is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause watery diarrhea, hemorrhagic enteritis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. STEC infection has become a serious public health problem. Due to the widespread applications of antibiotics, the drug resistance genes have emerged in numerous STEC strains. Therefore, bacteriophage therapy may represent a promising approach for STEC O157: H7 biocontrol. Here we reported the complete genome sequence of a novel STEC O157:H7 phage. Escherichia phage vB_EcoM Sa157lw, specific to STEC O157, was a new type of bacteriophages belonging to the family Myoviridae. Its genome was 155,887 bp in length with a G + C content of 44.94%. Prokaryotic genome annotation (Prokka) and BLASTP were used for gene finding and annotation. A total of 195 open reading frames (ORF) and 4 tRNAs (Ser, Ile, Asn and Met) were encoded in the genome while 55 ORF had predicted function, including the proteins related to cell lysis, phage structural components, DNA packaging and replication. The genome sequence provided a basis for our understanding of its biological function and roles in phage-host interactions and should facilitate the development of STEC O157 biocontrol strategies.