Rapid detection of temperate bacteriophage using a simple motility assay

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Industrial Biotechnology
• Pharmaceutical Science

Background:

• Bacteriophage contamination poses a significant risk in fermentation and pharmaceutical production.
• Temperate phage contamination, while not causing immediate lysis, can activate lytic cycles under specific conditions.
• Genetic manipulation processes can increase the likelihood of phage contamination in laboratory strains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and dependable method for detecting temperate phage contamination.
• To provide a simplified assay applicable to both laboratory and industrial settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized motility plates to detect temperate phage presence.
• Assayed for the formation of a clear 'lysis zone' when a phage-carrying strain swims against the original strain.
• Compared the motility-based assay with traditional double agar layer and genomic sequencing methods.

Main Results:

• The motility-based assay successfully detected newly acquired temperate phages by observing lysis zones.
• This method proved significantly faster and simpler than conventional techniques.
• The assay effectively identified new phages even in bacterial strains already harboring active prophages.

Conclusions:

• The motility plate assay offers a quick, reliable, and simplified approach for temperate phage detection.
• This method is highly suitable for routine monitoring in laboratory and industrial fermentation processes.
• The assay's ability to detect new phages without complex identification procedures enhances its practical applicability.