AUTHOR=Shi Zhixin , Hong Xin , Li Zexuan , Zhang Meijuan , Zhou Jun , Zhao Zhe , Qiu Shengfeng , Liu Genyan 

TITLE=Characterization of the novel broad-spectrum lytic phage Phage_Pae01 and its antibiofilm efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1386830

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1386830

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic> is present throughout nature and is a common opportunistic pathogen in the human body. Carbapenem antibiotics are typically utilized as a last resort in the clinical treatment of multidrug-resistant infections caused by <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic>. The increase in carbapenem-resistant <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> poses an immense challenge for the treatment of these infections. Bacteriophages have the potential to be used as antimicrobial agents for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods and Results</title><p>In this study, a new virulent P. aeruginosa phage, Phage_Pae01, was isolated from hospital sewage and shown to have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against clinical <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> isolates (83.6%). These clinical strains included multidrug-resistant <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> and carbapenem-resistant <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic>. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the phage possessed an icosahedral head of approximately 80 nm and a long tail about 110  m, indicating that it belongs to the Myoviridae family of the order <italic>Caudovirales</italic>. Biological characteristic analysis revealed that Phage_Pae01 could maintain stable activity in the temperature range of 4~ 60°C and pH range of 4 ~ 10. According to the <italic>in vitro</italic> lysis kinetics of the phage, Phage_Pae01 demonstrated strong antibacterial activity. The optimal multiplicity of infection was 0.01. The genome of Phage_Pae01 has a total length of 93,182 bp and contains 176 open reading frames (ORFs). The phage genome does not contain genes related to virulence or antibiotic resistance. In addition, Phage_Pae01 effectively prevented the formation of biofilms and eliminated established biofilms. When Phage_Pae01 was combined with gentamicin, it significantly disrupted established <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> biofilms.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>We identified a novel <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> phage and demonstrated its effective antimicrobial properties against <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic> in both the floating and biofilm states. These findings offer a promising approach for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections in clinical settings.</p></sec>