Interaction between cyanophage MaMV-DC and eight Microcystis strains, revealed by genetic defense systems

Publication date: Available online 8 November 2019Source: Harmful AlgaeAuthor(s): Juanping Wang, Peng Bai, Qi Li, Yan Lin, Da Huo, Fei Ke, Qiya Zhang, Tao Li, Jindong ZhaoAbstractCyanophage MaMV-DC is a member of Myoviridae that was reported to specifically infect and lyse Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB-524 among 21 selected cyanobacterial strains. We reidentified the infection specificity of MaMV-DC among seven other Microcystis strains of different species. In our experiments, MaMV-DC infected three Microcystis strains but did not form plaque in Microcystis lawns. This indicated that MaMV-DC is at least a genus- rather than strain-specific virus. Cyanophage MaMV-DC genes were transcribed in M. aeruginosa FACHB-524, M. flos-aquae TF09, M. aeruginosa TA09 and M. wesenbergii DW09, and the growth of these Microcystis strains was inhibited by the addition of MaMV-DC. The predicted defense of eight Microcystis strains by CRISPR–Cas systems has shown mixed consistency with the infection experiment results, suggesting other defense or anti-defense systems play roles during infection process. Restriction–modification (RM) system analysis revealed an abundance of four types of RM proteins that may play roles in defense against cyanophages.
Source: Harmful Algae - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research