Enterobacter sp. M4 and other bacterial strains were isolated from plant soft rot disease. Virulent phages such as EspM4VN isolated from soil are trending biological controls for plant disease. This phage has an icosahedral head (100 nm in diameter), a neck, and a contractile sheath (100 nm long and 18 nm wide). It belongs to the Ackermannviridae family and resembles Shigella phage Ag3 and Dickeya phages JA15 and XF4. We report herein that EspM4VN was stable from 10 • C to 50 • C and pH 4 to 10 but deactivated at 70 • C and pH 3 and 12. This phage formed clear plaques only on Enterobacter sp. M4 among tested bacterial strains. A one-step growth curve showed that the latent phase was 20 min, rise period was 10 min, and an average of 122 phage particles were released from each absorbed cell. We found the phage's genome size was 160,766 bp and that it annotated 219 open reading frames. The genome organization of EspM4VN has high similarity with the Salmonella phage SKML-39; Dickeya phages Coodle, PP35, JA15, and Limestone; and Shigella phage Ag3. The phage EspM4VN has five tRNA species, four tail-spike proteins, and a thymidylate synthase. Phylogenetic analysis based on structural proteins and enzymes indicated that EspM4VN was identified as a member of the genus Agtrevirus, subfamily Aglimvirinae, family Ackermannviridae.

A filamentous bacteriophage, φOH3, was isolated from hot spring sediment in Obama hot spring in Japan with the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8 as its host. Phage φOH3, which was classified into the Inoviridae family, consists of a flexible filamentous particle 830 nm long and 8 nm wide. φOH3 was stable at temperatures ranging from 70 to 90°C and at pHs ranging from 6 to 9. A one-step growth curve of the phage showed a 60-min latent period beginning immediately postinfection, followed by intracellular virus particle production during the subsequent 40 min. The released virion number of φOH3 was 109. During the latent period, both single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and the replicative form (RF) of phage DNA were multiplied from min 40 onward. During the release period, the copy numbers of both ssDNA and RF DNA increased sharply. The size of the φOH3 genome is 5688 bp, and eight putative open reading frames (ORFs) were annotated. These ORFs were encoded on the plus strand of RF DNA and showed no significant homology with any known phage genes, except ORF 5, which showed 60% identity with the gene VIII product of the Thermus filamentous phage PH75. All the ORFs were similar to predicted genes annotated in the Thermus aquaticus Y51MC23 and Meiothermus timidus DSM 17022 genomes at the amino acid sequence level. This is the first report of the whole genome structure and DNA multiplication of a filamentous T. thermophilus phage within its host cell.

Thermus thermophilus HB8 expresses silica-induced protein (Sip) when cultured in medium containing supersaturated silicic acids. Using genomic information, Sip was identified as a Fe 3؉ -binding ABC transporter. Detection of a 1-kb hybridized band in Northern analysis revealed that sip transcription is monocistronic and that sip has its own terminator and promoter. The sequence of the sip promoter showed homology with that of the A -dependent promoter, which is known as a housekeeping promoter in HB8. Considering that sip is transcribed when supersaturated silicic acids are added, the existence of a repressor is presumed. DNA microarray analysis suggested that supersaturated silicic acids and iron deficiency affect Thermus cells similarly, and enhanced sip transcription was detected under both conditions. This suggested that sip transcription was initiated by iron deficiency and that the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) controlled the transcription. Three Fur gene homologues (TTHA0255, TTHA0344, and TTHA1292) have been annotated in the HB8 genome, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the TTHA0344 product interacts with the sip promoter region. In medium containing supersaturated silicic acids, free Fe 3؉ levels were decreased due to Fe 3؉ immobilization on colloidal silica. This suggests that, because Fe 3؉ ions are captured by colloidal silica in geothermal water, Thermus cells are continuously exposed to the risk of iron deficiency. Considering that Sip is involved in iron acquisition, Sip production may be a strategy to survive under conditions of low iron availability in geothermal water. IMPORTANCEThe thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8 produces silica-induced protein (Sip) in the presence of supersaturated silicic acids. Sip has homology with iron-binding ABC transporter; however, the mechanism by which Sip expression is induced by silicic acids remains unexplained. We demonstrate that Sip captures iron and its transcription is regulated by the repressor ferric uptake regulator (Fur). This implies that Sip is expressed with iron deficiency. In addition, it is suggested that negatively charged colloidal silica in supersaturated solution absorbs Fe 3؉ ions and decreases iron availability. Considering that geothermal water contains ample silicic acids, it is suggested that thermophilic bacteria are always facing iron starvation. Sip production may be a strategy for surviving under conditions of low iron availability in geothermal water. S ilica (SiO 2 ) is one of the most abundant substances in the Earth's crust. In aqueous solution, silica dissolves as monosilicic acid, Si(OH) 4 , the solubility of which depends on conditions such as temperature, pH, and salt concentrations (1). In geothermal water at high temperature and pressure underground, silicic acids are in equilibrium with the quartz in rock layers, with concentrations reaching around 600 ppm at 300°C. When this geothermal water is discharged to the surface, where the solubility of amorphous silica is about 300 ppm...

Geobacillus kaustophilus strain GBlys was isolated along with the bacteriophage ϕOH2, which infects G. kaustophilus NBRC 102445T. Here we present a draft sequence of this strain’s genome, which consists of 216 contigs for a total of 3,541,481 bp, 3,679 predicted coding sequences, and a G+C content of 52.1%.

Pediococcus lolii NGRI 0510QT was isolated from ryegrass silage produced on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Here we present a draft genome sequence for this strain, consisting of 103 contigs for a total of 2,047,078 bp, 2,154 predicted coding sequences, and a G+C content of 42.1%.