The general characteristics as well as the similarity to phage JG024 are shown in Table 2. The overall nucleotide similarity to PB1-like phages varies between 86% to phage PB1 and 95% to the phages SN and 14-1 (Table 2). We also compared the JG024 genome

sequence with PB1 and SN using Mauve [27] and detected only few insertions or deletions, Additional file 1 Figure S1. Due to the high sequence similarity, the broad host range characteristic as well as the morphology, we conclude that phage JG024 belongs to the PB1-like phages. In accordance with our findings, PB1-like phages also have been shown to use LPS as receptor [28]. Since the sampling location of JG024 in Lower Saxony, Germany is different to all other PB1-like phages, it underscores the broad environmental distribution RAD001 of this phage group probably due to the broad host range [15]. Table 2 Comparison of the JG024 genome to the genomes of PB1-like phages 15. Phage Genome size (bp)

GC content (%) Predicted ORFs unique ORFs DNA identity (%) to JG024 JG024 66,275 55.62 94 1 100 PB1 65,764 55.5 93 – 86 F8 66,015 55.6 93 1 87 SN 66,390 55.6 92 2 95 14-1 66,238 SCH727965 cell line 55.6 90 – 95 LMA2 66,530 55.5 95 2 93 LBL3 64,427 55.5 88 2 92 Features of the JG024 genome The schematic representation of the genome, with its assumed ORFs, some functional assignments and overall genetic organization is depicted in Figure 3. The genome of JG024 is compact organized with only 7.1% intergenic space. No genes encoding for tRNAs were found in the genome of JG024 using the program RNAscan-SE 1.21 [29]. Interestingly, the GC content of phage JG024 differs from its host (55.62% to 68%). Comparison

of the codon usage of JG024 with its host P. aeruginosa showed that the phage shares the same dominant codons for each amino acid except for valin, serin and glutamate. To test if the genome of phage JG024 is linear or circular, we used a method described previously [30]. A linear genome of phage JG024 was identified by treatment with exonuclease Bal31 which degrades only double-stranded linear DNA from both ends simultaneously (data not shown). However, we did not identify the exact genome ends. This would indicate that the genome of phage JG024 is circular permuted in contradiction to the PB1 phages, which have been reported to have non-permuted linear Selleckchem Tenofovir genomes [15]. Since the terminase protein of JG024 is highly (up to 99.6%) identical to that of the PB1 phages, we assume phage JG024 to have a non-permuted linear genome. Figure 3 Genome of JG024. Schematic representation of the JG024 genome with its assumed ORFs and some functional assignments. The arrowheads point in the direction of transcription. Detected putative sigma70-promoters as well as potential terminator hairpin structures are indicated. The complete genome is submitted with GenBank (NCBI, accession number: GU815091). Since these phages share a high sequence similarity a comparative ORF prediction was possible.