Genomic characterization of two nickie-like bacteriophages that infect the kiwifruit canker phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae.

Here, we report the genomic characterization of two siphophages, named hairong and ZY21, that infect the kiwifruit canker phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. The genome sequences of hairong (112,842 bp) and ZY21 (112,006 bp) were determined. Global sequence comparison showed that hairong, ZY21, and two phages of the genus Nickievirus (nickie and psageB1) are similar but are not closely related to any other known phage, and they comprise a unique phylogenetic cluster. Moreover, hairong represents a new genus related to Nickievirus. Comparative genomic analysis revealed some common features shared by the four nickie-like phages.