Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria as a means to compete in an ecological niche.Bacteriocin production is widespread among prokaryotes (Dobson, Cotter, Ross, & Hill, 2012), and recent genome mining studies suggest that most Gram-positive bacteria harbor genes encoding bacteriocin production (Alvarez-Sieiro, Montalbán-López, Mu, & Kuipers, 2016;Zhao & Kuipers, 2016). The bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria have been extensively studied due to their importance within the food industry as both starter cultures and natural biopreservatives (

Carnobacteria have been implicated in food spoilage, but also in protection against pathogenic bacteria. We report the isolation and complete genome sequences of three bacteriophages (phages cd2, cd3, and cd4) that specifically target Carnobacterium divergens . The genome sizes are approximately 57 kbp and have limited homology to known enterococcal and streptococcal phages.

Currently, very little is known about phages that infect carnobacteria, an important genus of lactic acid bacteria with both beneficial and detrimental effects in the food and aquaculture industries. This report provides a detailed characterization of phage cd2, a novel siphophage that targets Carnobacterium divergens , and sets the groundwork for understanding the biology of these phages and their potential use in the detection and biocontrol of C. divergens isolates.