Characterization and complete genome sequence of bacteriophage vB_Vc_SrVc2, a marine phage that infects Vibrio campbellii

Abstract

Vibrio campbellii is widely distributed in the marine environment and is an important pathogen of aquatic organisms such as shrimp, fish, and mollusks. The emergence of multi-drug resistance among these bacteria resulted in a worldwide public health problem, which requires alternative treatment approaches such as phage therapy. In the present study, we isolated a phage vB_Vc_SrVc2 from white shrimp hepatopancreas with symptoms of AHPND. Phage vB_Vc_SrVc2 is a member of the genus Maculvirus and the family Autographiviridae, with high lytic ability against Vibrio isolates. Phage has a high resistance to a broad range of temperatures, salinity, UV radiation and chloroform. The genome size was 43,157 bp, with a GC content of 49.2% that encodes 49 putative ORFs, no tRNAs, showed three single nucleotide polymorphisms, two small deletions and one nucleotide insertion compared to SrVc9, showing slightly different infectivity profiles.. No lysogeny related genes were detected in vB_Vc_SrVc2 genome. Overall phage vB_Vc_SrVc2 has a good potential for therapeutic use in the aquaculture industry against V. campbellii infections.

Characterization and Genome Analysis of Vibrio campbellii Lytic Bacteriophage OPA17

“…According to earlier studies, OPA17 is different from other V. campbellii phages. In a previous study, lytic phages vB_Vc_SrVc2 and vB_Vc_SrVc9, which infect V. campbellii , were classified as members of the Autographiviridae family ( 4 , 25 ). However, the potential of Siphoviridae phage to control of luminous vibriosis caused by V. harveyi in shrimp aquaculture has been reported in many previous studies ( 3 , 28 – 30 ).…”

“…The ability of phages to infect different species within the genus Vibrio , especially among Harveyi clade species, has been reported in previous studies. V. campbellii phages vB_Vc_SrVc2 and vB_Vc_SrVc9 isolated from the hepatopancreas of shrimp with AHPND in Mexico also lysed V. parahaemolyticus and V. alginolyticus ( 4 , 25 ). Other studies showed the cross-infectivity of isolated phages among Harveyi clade hosts.…”

“… V. alginolyticus phages φSt2 and φGrn were shown to reduce the Vibrio load in Artemia salina , zooplankton used as live feed in hatcheries ( 24 ). In V. campbellii , phages vB_Vc_SrVc2 and vB_Vc_SrVc9 were demonstrated against V. campbellii infection in A. franciscana larvae ( 4 , 25 ). In addition, vB_VcaS_HC has been isolated and characterized as a potential candidate for V. campbellii control.…”