A Novel Phage Infecting <i>Alteromonas</i> Represents a Distinct Group of Siphophages Infecting Diverse Aquatic Copiotrophs
Ruijie Ma, Jiayong Lai, Xiaowei Chen, Long Wang, Yahui Yang, Shuzhen Wei, Nianzhi Jiao, Rui Zhang
Abstract
phage, vB_AcoS-R7M (R7M). A taxonomic study reveals close evolutionary relationships among R7M and a number of siphophages infecting various aquatic copiotrophs. Their similar head morphology and overall genetic framework suggest their putative common ancestry and the grouping of a new viral subfamily. However, their major difference lies in the viral tail adsorption apparatuses and the horizontal exchanges of which possibly account for variations in host specificity. These findings outline an evolutionary scenario for the emergence of diverse viral lineages of a shared genetic pool and give insights into the genetics and ecology of viral host jumps.