Discovery and Characterization of Four Novel Vibrio coralliilyticus Phages Support the Proposal of Two New Genera
Vibrio coralliilyticus (V. coralliilyticus) is an emerging coral pathogen associated with tissue-loss diseases in reef-building corals and diseases in other marine organisms, such as oyster larvae. Despite the great ecological and economic significance of this pathogenic bacterium, characterization of bacteriophages infecting V. coralliilyticus remains limited, particularly of temperate phages.…
Vibrio coralliilyticus, a coral pathogen causing tissue-loss diseases in marine organisms, has limited known bacteriophages. Four novel phages - Satoshi, Kolob, Ushijima, and Kane - were isolated from coastal waters near Oahu, Hawaii, and characterized using the native Hawaiian V. coralliilyticus strain OCN008. All phages displayed temperate lifestyles and encoded integrases, indicating integration into the host genome.
Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics revealed these phages belong to the class Caudoviricetes, but not within any previously identified orders, families, or genera. Satoshi, Kolob, and Ushijima, along with the previously known CKB-S2, form one genus-level lineage, while Kane represents a distinct lineage with no close relatives in existing databases.
These phages also contain virulence factor homologs, which may contribute to the host's pathogenicity during lysogeny. The discovery of these four phages enhances the diversity of V. coralliilyticus phages and supports the proposal of two new genera: Mokushimavirus, containing Satoshi, Kolob, Ushijima, and CKB-S2, and Laievirus, containing Kane.
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