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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
Staphylococcus bacteriophage tails with bactericidal properties: new findings
Appaiah Chemira Biddappa1, Sudarson Sundarrajan, Anupama Byrappa Ramalinga
1Molecular Biology Team, Gangagen Biotechnologies Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
|April 17, 2013
Summary
Bacteriophage tails, not whole viruses, show broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics for Gram-positive bacterial infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriophage therapy
- Antimicrobial resistance
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
- Lytic bacteriophages are a potential alternative to antibiotics.
- Phage P954 infects Staphylococcus aureus but has a limited lysis range.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of bacteriophage P954 tails against Gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
- To investigate the broader host range of phage tails compared to intact phages.
Main Methods:
- Bacteriophage P954 tails were isolated by interrupting phage assembly.
- The bactericidal activity of phage tails was tested against Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates.
- PCR was used to analyze phage-resistant isolates for prophage integration.
Main Results:
- Intact phage P954 lysed only 24% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates.
- P954 phage tails demonstrated bactericidal activity against all tested phage-resistant isolates.
- Phage-resistant isolates contained integrated P954-like prophages, explaining resistance to intact phage.
Conclusions:
- Bacteriophage P954 tails exhibit a significantly broader host range than the intact phage.
- Phage tails bypass superinfection immunity and restriction endonuclease systems, enhancing their therapeutic potential.
- Phage tails represent a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating Gram-positive bacterial infections.
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