AUTHOR=Tsertou Maria Ioanna , Triga Adriana , Droubogiannis Stavros , Kokkari Constantina , Anasi Grammatiki , Katharios Pantelis 

TITLE=Isolation and characterization of a novel Tenacibaculum species and a corresponding bacteriophage from a Mediterranean fish hatchery: Description of Tenacibaculum larymnensis sp. nov. and Tenacibaculum phage Larrie

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1078669

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1078669

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Tenacibaculum larymnensis</italic> sp. nov., a novel species of the <italic>Tenacibaculum</italic> genus was isolated from a commercial fish hatchery in Greece. The novel species is phylogenetically close to <italic>T. discolor</italic> and was biochemically and genetically characterized. The genome of <italic>T</italic>. <italic>larymnensis</italic> has 3.66 Mbps length, 31.83% GC content and the genomic analysis demonstrated that it harbors a wide enzymatic repertoire suggestive of increased degrading capacity but also several virulence factors including hemolysins, secretion systems, transporters, siderophores, pili and extracellular proteins. Using the novel strain, a virulent bacteriophage designated as Tenacibaculum phage Larrie was isolated and characterized. Larrie is a novel Siphovirus with relatively large genome, 77.5 kbps with 111 ORFs, a GC content of 33.7% and an exclusively lytic lifestyle. The new phage-host system can serve as an efficient model to study microbial interactions in the aquatic environment which contribute to the nutrient cycling.</p>