Biological and genomic characteristics of a broad-spectrum Yersinia pestis bacteriophage

  Objective   To determined the morphological, biological and genomic characteristics of vB_YpeM_ESS14 (ESS14), a Yersinia pestis bacteriophage isolated from a silent plague focus in Yunnan.

  Methods   Using Y.pestis vaccine strain EV76 as host bacteria, the morphological, biological and genomic characteristics of ESS14 were determined by transmission electron microscope, growth and thermo, pH stability tests, as well as host range analysis.

  Results   ESS14 could lyse some species of Escherichia coli and Shigella, in addition ESS14 can lyse Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella blidan. The Optimal Multiplicity of Infection (MOI) of ESS14 was 0.01, the latent period was shorter, and the burst size was about 120 PFU/cell. ESS14 has comparatively stability at temperatures range (28～60 ℃) and pHs range (3～10). The ESS14 genome consists of 170013 bp double stranded DNA, with a G+C content of 40.50%, and contains 295 coding sequences(CDS), two of which are tRNAs (tRNA-Arg-TCT and tRNA-Met-CAT).

  Conclusion   Genomic analysis revealed that ESS14 belonged to Caudovirales>Straboviridae>Tevenvirinae>Gaprivervirus. Because this phage has the characteristics of broad-lysis spectrum, short latent period, high burst size, as well as the ability with stability to temperature, pH and UV, such characteristics indicated that ESS14 has the application value on reducing Y.pestis in plague focus in the future.