Complete nucleotide sequence analysis of a novel Bacillus subtilis-infecting phage, BSP38, possibly belonging to a new genus in the subfamily Spounavirinae.

Bacillus subtilis-infecting phage BSP38 was isolated from a sewage sample. Morphologically, BSP38 was found to be similar to members of the subfamily Spounavirinae, family Myoviridae. Its genome is 153,268 bp long with 41.8% G+C content and 254 putative open reading frames (ORFs) as well as six tRNAs. A distinguishing feature for this phage among the reported B. subtilis-infecting phages is the presence of an encoding ORF, putative tRNAHis guanylyltransferase-like protein. Genomic comparisons with the other reported phages strongly suggest that BSP38 should be considered a member of a new genus in the subfamily Spounavirinae.