Isolation and complete genome sequencing of Pectobacterium phage Jarilo, representing a novel genus of bacteriophages within the subfamily Autographivirinae

Pectobacterium carotovorum is the causative agent of bacterial soft rot on various plant species. The use of phages for plant disease control have gained increased awareness over the past years. We here describe the isolation and characterization of Pectobacterium phage Jarilo, representing a novel genus of bacteriophages within the subfamily Autographivirinae. Jarilo possesses a double-stranded DNA genome of 40557 bp with a G+C% content of 50.08% and 50 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Gene synteny and products seem to be somewhat conserved between Pectobacterium phage Jarilo and Enterobacteria phage T7, but limited nucleotide similarity is found between Jarilo and other phages within the subfamily Autographivirinae. We propose Pectobacterium phage Jarilo as the first member of a new genus of bacteriophages within the subfamily Autographivirinae.