Leuconostoc
has been used as a principal starter in natural kimchi fermentation, but limited research has been conducted on its phages. In this study, prophage distribution and characterization in kimchi-derived
Leuconostoc
strains were investigated, and phage induction was performed. Except for one strain, 16
Leuconostoc
strains had at least one prophage region with questionable and incomplete regions, which comprised 0.5–6.0% of the bacterial genome. Based on major capsid protein analysis, ten intact prophages and an induced incomplete prophage of
Leu. lactis
CBA3626 belonged to the
Siphoviridae
family and were similar to Lc-Nu-like, sha1-like, phiMH1-like, and TPA_asm groups. Bacterial immunology genes, such as superinfection exclusion proteins and methylase, were found on several prophages. One prophage of
Leu. lactis
CBA3626 was induced using mitomycin C and was confirmed as belonging to the
Siphoviridae
family. Homology of the induced prophage with 21 reported prophages was not high (< 4%), and 47% identity was confirmed only with TPA_asm from
Siphoviridae
sp. isolate ct3pk4. Therefore, it is suggested that
Leuconostoc
from kimchi had diverse prophages with less than 6% genome proportion and some immunological genes. Interestingly, the induced prophage was very different from the reported prophages of other
Leuconostoc
species.
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