The TolC and Lipopolysaccharide-Specific Escherichia coli Bacteriophage TLS-the Tlsvirus Archetype Virus

Gregory J German; James V DeGiulio; Jolene Ramsey; Andrew M Kropinski; Rajeev Misra

doi:10.1089/phage.2023.0041

The TolC and Lipopolysaccharide-Specific Escherichia coli Bacteriophage TLS-the Tlsvirus Archetype Virus

Phage (New Rochelle). 2024 Sep 16;5(3):173-183. doi: 10.1089/phage.2023.0041. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Authors

Gregory J German^{1

2}, James V DeGiulio³, Jolene Ramsey⁴, Andrew M Kropinski⁵, Rajeev Misra⁶

Affiliations

¹ St. Joseph's Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
² Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
³ Lathrop GPM, Chicago, IL USA.
⁴ Texas A&M University, Biology Department, College Station, TX USA.
⁵ Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
⁶ School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.

PMID: 39372356
PMCID: PMC11447400 (available on 2025-09-16)
DOI: 10.1089/phage.2023.0041

Abstract

Introduction: TLS is a virulent bacteriophage of Escherichia coli that utilizes TolC and lipopolysaccharide as its cell surface receptors.

Methods: The genome was reannotated using the latest online resources and compared to other T1-like phages.

Results: The TLS genome consists of 49,902 base pairs, encoding 86 coding sequences that display considerable sequence similarity with the T1 phage genome. It also contains 18 intergenic 21-base long repeats, each of them upstream of a predicted start codon and in the direction of transcription. Data revealed that DNA packaging occurs through the pac site-mediated headful mechanism.

Conclusions: Based on sequence analysis of its genome, TLS belongs to the Drexlerviridae family and represents the type member of the Tlsvirus genus.

Keywords: Drexlerviridae; Tempevirinae; bacteriophages; genomics; host-receptors; proteome.