Genomic characterization of ϕRS603, a filamentous bacteriophage that is infectious to the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum.

A filamentous bacteriophage (ϕ), ϕRS603, which is infectious to the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum was isolated. ϕRS603 was found to have a circular single-stranded DNA genome composed of 7679 nucleotides and to contain 13 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The ϕRS603 genome showed strong similarity with those of Ralstonia phages ϕRSM1 and ϕRSM3, as reported by Askora et al. The ϕRS603 genome had no ORFs corresponding to ORFs 2, 3, 13 and 14 (integrase) of ϕRSM3. ϕRS603 had an ORF that was homologous to other Ralstonia phages ϕRSS0 and ϕRSS1; however, ϕRSM1 and ϕRSM3 did not.