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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

Published on: January 5, 2024

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Genomic characterization of lytic bacteriophages targeting genetically diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical

Hayley R Nordstrom1, Daniel R Evans1, Amanda G Finney1

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

Iscience
|May 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

New bacteriophages targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated and characterized. This research advances phage therapy as a precision antibiotic alternative for difficult-to-treat infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections pose significant treatment challenges.
  • Bacteriophage therapy offers a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics.
  • A scarcity of isolated and characterized phages hinders therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize bacteriophages targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of these phages against clinical isolates and biofilms.
  • To investigate mechanisms of phage resistance in P. aeruginosa.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of bacteriophages from hospital wastewater using P. aeruginosa clinical isolates.
  • Genomic sequencing and comparative genomics of isolated phages.
  • Lytic activity screening, resistance evolution studies, and in vitro/ex vivo biofilm assays.

Main Results:

  • Over a dozen P. aeruginosa-targeting phages were isolated and characterized.
  • Phages demonstrated lytic activity against diverse clinical isolates.
  • Mechanisms of phage resistance were elucidated through genomic and functional analyses.
  • Phages showed efficacy against P. aeruginosa in biofilms and on CF airway epithelial cells.

Conclusions:

  • Systematic genomic and phenotypic characterization is crucial for developing bacteriophages as precision antibiotics.
  • This study provides a foundation for advancing phage therapy against P. aeruginosa infections.
  • The isolated phages represent a valuable resource for future therapeutic applications.
Keywords:
MicrobiologyVirology

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