Resumen de Genomic Characterization of Cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 Infecting Filamentous Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae Reveals Novel Insights into Virus-Bacterium Interactions

Sigitas Šulčius, Eugenijus Šimoliūnas, Gediminas Alzbutas, Giedrius Gasiunas, Vykintas Jauniškis, Jolita Kuznecova, Sini Miettinen, Emelie Nilsson, Rolandas Meškys, Elina Roine, Ričardas Paškauskas, Karin Holmfeldt

• The genomic characterization of novel cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 and the analysis of its genomic features in the context of other viruses, metagenomic data, and host CRISPR-Cas systems contribute toward a better understanding of aquatic viral diversity and distribution in general and of brackish-water cyanophages infecting filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea in particular. The results of this study revealed previously undescribed features of cyanophage genomes (e.g., self-excising intein-containing putative dCTP deaminase and putative cyanophage-encoded CRISPR-Cas and toxin-antitoxin systems) and can therefore be used to predict potential interactions between bloom-forming cyanobacteria and their cyanophages.