Expansion of Kuravirus-like Phage Sequences within the Past Decade, including Escherichia Phage YF01 from Japan, Prompt the Creation of Three New Genera

Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are currently receiving significant attention amid an ever-growing global antibiotic resistance crisis. In tandem, a surge in the availability and affordability of next-generation and third-generation sequencing technologies has driven the deposition of a wealth of phage sequence data. Here, we have isolated a novel Escherichia phage, YF01, from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Yokohama, Japan. We demonstrate that the YF01 phage shares a high similarity to a collection of thirty-five Escherichia and Shigella phages found in public databases, six of which have been previously classified into the Kuravirus genus by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Using modern phylogenetic approaches, we demonstrate that an expansion and reshaping of the current six-membered Kuravirus genus is required to accommodate all thirty-six member phages. Ultimately, we propose the creation of three additional genera, Vellorevirus, Jinjuvirus, and Yesanvirus, which will allow a more organized approach to the addition of future Kuravirus-like phages.