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Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a foodborne pathogen, has become resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, alternative bio-control agents such bacteriophage are urgently needed for its control. Six novel bacteriophages specific to V. parahaemolyticus (vB_VpaP_KF1~2, vB_VpaS_KF3~6) were characterized at the molecular level in this study. Genomic similarity analysis revealed that these six bacteriophages could be divided into two groups with different genomic features, phylogenetic grouping, and morphologies. Two groups of bacteriophages had their own genes with different mechanisms for infection, assembly, and metabolism. Our results could be used as a future reference to study phage genomics or apply phages in future bio-control studies.

Food fermentation relies on the activity of robust starter cultures, which are commonly comprised of lactic acid bacteria such as Lactococcus and Streptococcus thermophilus. While bacteriophage infection represents a persistent threat that may cause slowed or failed fermentations, their beneficial role in fermentations is also being appreciated. In order to develop robust starter cultures, it is important to understand how phages interact with and modulate the compositional landscape of these complex microbial communities. Both culture-dependent and -independent methods have been instrumental in defining individual phage-host interactions of many lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This knowledge needs to be integrated and expanded to obtain a full understanding of the overall complexity of such interactions pertinent to fermented foods through a combination of culturomics, metagenomics, and phageomics. With such knowledge, it is believed that factory-specific detection and monitoring systems may be developed to ensure robust and reliable fermentation practices. In this review, we explore/discuss phage-host interactions of LAB, the role of both virulent and temperate phages on the microbial composition, and the current knowledge of phageomes of fermented foods.

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