Existence of lysogenic bacteriophages in Bacillus thuringiensis type strains

• We screened the existence of bacteriophages in 67 Bacillus thuringiensis type strains.
• Ten of 67 type strains showed the phage TerS PCR fragments.
• The additional 12 type strains showed phage DNAs.
• The bacteriophages in 22 Bt type strains were confirmed under TEM.
• Their morphological characteristics suggest that they belong to Family Siphoviridae.

We screened the existence of bacteriophages in 67 Bacillus thuringiensis type strains by phage DNA extraction and PCR using phage terminase small subunit (TerS)-specific primers to the supernatants and the precipitated pellets of Bt cultures, and by transmission electron microscopy. The various bacteriophages were observed from the supernatants of 22 type strains. Ten type strains showed the extracted phage DNAs and the amplified fragment by TerS PCR but 12 type strains showed only the phage DNAs. Their morphological characteristic suggests that they belong to Family Siphoviridae which had a long tail and symmetrical head.

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