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Phage survival: the biodegradability of M13 phage display library in vitro

L'ubomíra Tóthová1, Janka Bábíčková, Peter Celec

  • 1Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. tothova.lubomira@gmail.com

Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
|April 17, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophage M13 survival was tested in human body fluids and mouse tissues. Low pH conditions, like in artificial gastric juice, severely impacted phage viability, suggesting implications for in vivo phage therapy applications.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Bacteriophages are utilized in phage therapy for gut microbiome modulation and in vivo phage display.
  • Understanding phage survival in physiological environments is crucial for therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the in vitro survival rates of M13 phage in various human body fluids and mouse tissues.
  • To determine the impact of different physiological conditions on phage viability over time.

Main Methods:

  • M13 phage survival was assessed in human blood, saliva, urine, artificial gastric juice (AGJ), and mouse stomach, jejunum, and colon homogenates.
  • Phage viability was measured at 5, 15, and 45-minute intervals post-incubation.
  • Plaque assays were performed after overnight incubation to quantify phage recovery.

Main Results:

  • No M13 phage recovery was observed after 5 minutes in AGJ.
  • Significant phage survival reduction occurred in urine (44% at 5 min), saliva (33% at 15 min, 88% at 45 min), and jejunum homogenate (72% at 15 min, 99% at 45 min).
  • Low pH in AGJ demonstrated the most detrimental effect on phage survival.

Conclusions:

  • M13 phage survival is time-dependent and significantly reduced in certain in vitro physiological conditions.
  • The findings highlight the challenges for phage stability in vivo and inform potential phage therapy strategies.

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