Isolation and characterization of the new Streptomyces phages Kamino, Geonosis, Abafar, and Scarif infecting a broad range of host species

Abstract

Streptomyces , a multifaceted genus of soil-dwelling bacteria belonging to the phylum Actinomycetota , features intricate phage-host interactions shaped by its complex life cycle and the synthesis of a diverse array of specialized metabolites. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of four novel Streptomyces phages infecting a variety of different host species. While phage Kamino, isolated on Streptomyces kasugaensis , is predicted to be temperate and encodes a serine integrase in its genome, phages Geonosis (isolated on Streptomyces griseus ) and Abafar and Scarif, isolated on Streptomyces albidoflavus , are virulent phages. Phages Kamino and Geonosis were shown to amplify well in liquid culture leading to a pronounced culture collapse already at low titers. Determination of the host range by testing >40 different Streptomyces species identified phages Kamino, Abafar, and Scarif as broad host-range phages. Overall, the phages described in this study expand the publicly available portfolio of phages infecting Streptomyces and will be instrumental in advancing the mechanistic understanding of the intricate antiviral strategies employed by these multicellular bacteria. IMPORTANCE The actinobacterial genus Streptomyces is characterized by multicellular, filamentous growth and the synthesis of a diverse range of bioactive molecules. These characteristics also play a role in shaping their interactions with the most abundant predator in the environment, bacteriophages—viruses infecting bacteria. In this study, we characterize four new phages infecting Streptomyces . Out of those, three phages feature a broad host range infecting up to 15 different species. The isolated phages were characterized with respect to plaque and virion morphology, host range, and amplification in liquid culture. In summary, the phages reported in this study contribute to the broader collection of publicly available phages infecting Streptomyces , playing a crucial role in advancing our mechanistic understanding of phage-host interactions of these multicellular bacteria.