Geobacillus Bacteriophages from Compost Heaps: Representatives of Three New Genera within Thermophilic Siphoviruses.We report a detailed characterization of five thermophilic bacteriophages (phages) that were isolated from compost heaps in Vilnius, Lithuania using Geobacillus thermodenitrificans strains as the hosts for phage propagation.  Furthermore, most of the phages formed plaques surrounded by halo zones, indicating the presence of phage-encoded bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS)-degrading depolymerases.  The results of this study not only improve our knowledge about poorly explored thermophilic bacteriophages but also give new insights for further investigation of thermophilic and/or thermostable enzymes of bacterial viruses.
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