Characterization of a lytic vibriophage VP06 of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a human enteropathogenic bacterium and is also pathogenic to shrimp and finfish. In a search for a biocontrol agent for V. parahaemolyticus and other pathogenic Vibrio species, a lytic phage VP06 was isolated from oyster using V. parahaemolyticus as the host. VP06 is a Siphoviridae phage with a polyhedral head and a long tail. The genome sequence of VP06 was 75,893 nucleotides in length and the G + C content was 49%; a total of 101 CDSs were identified in VP06, of which 39 exhibited functional domains/motifs. The genomic sequence of VP06 is similar to those of a lytic Vibrio vulnificus phage SSP002 and a temperate V. parahaemolyticus phage vB_VpaS_MAR10, although VP06 has distinct features in the CDS arrangement and 14 unique CDSs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that VP06, SSP002 and vB_VpaS_MAR10 belong to a novel genus cluster of Siphoviridae phages. This phage lysed 28.1% of various Vibrio strains, and the efficiency of plating method revealed that VP06 was highly effective in lysing strains of Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio azureus, Vibrio harveyi and V. parahaemolyticus. The properties of VP06, including its broad range of hosts and resistance to environmental stresses, indicate that it may be a candidate biocontrol agent.