AUTHOR=Wang Shuang , Yin Bo , Yu Ling , Dang Mei , Guo Zhimin , Yan Guangmou , Hu Dongliang , Gu Jingmin , Du Chongtao , Feng Xin , Han Wenyu , Adam Yuren Yuan , Sun Changjiang , Bossé Janine T. , Lei Liancheng 

TITLE=Overexpression of AmpC Promotes Bacteriophage Lysis of Ampicillin-Resistant Escherichia coli

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02973

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.02973

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> are a threat to human and animal health globally. Phage therapy has made great progress for the treatment of drug-resistant infections, but it is still unclear whether <italic>E. coli</italic> resistance to antibiotics could change the lysis ability of phages. In this study, we demonstrate that over expression of AmpC, an important β-lactamase for ampicillin resistance, promotes lysis of <italic>E. coli</italic> by phage utilizing OmpA as a receptor. <italic>E. coli</italic> strains expressing more AmpC showed higher levels of OmpA, an <italic>E. coli</italic> outer membrane protein known to serve as a receptor for T-even phages, which resulted in increased adsorption and lysis by the phage tested in this study. These data demonstrate that increased ampicillin resistance can increase the sensitivity of <italic>E. coli</italic> to some lytic phage, which provides evidence for the feasibility of synergistic application of phage and antibiotics.</p>