Isolation and complete genome sequence of Aeromonas bacteriophage Gekk3-15

<ns3:p>Bacteria of the genus <ns3:italic>Aeromonas</ns3:italic>, especially <ns3:italic>A. hydrophila</ns3:italic> and <ns3:italic>A. veronii</ns3:italic> are recognized as important fish pathogens that cause significant economic losses in aquaculture. Environmentally friendly bacteriophage-based solutions for the treatment of fish and for the reduction of colonization by pathogenic bacteria in production facilities are currently in high demand. The bacteriophage Gekk3-15 was isolated during a search for novel phage strains potentially suitable for <ns3:italic>Aeromonas</ns3:italic> biocontrol applications. Genome sequencing revealed that this virus is a relatively small myovirus with a 64847 bp long dsDNA genome, which is consistent with virion electron microscopy data. Bacteriophage Gekk3-15 is distinct in its nucleotide and encoded aa sequences from all other sequenced bacteriophage genomes, and may represent a new viral taxon at the genus or subfamily level.</ns3:p>