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Filamentous Pseudomonas Phage Pf4 in the Context of Therapy-Inducibility, Infectivity, Lysogenic Conversion, and

Damir Gavric1, Petar Knezevic1

  • 1PK Lab, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia.

Viruses
|June 24, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic therapy can enhance Pf4 phage production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, leading to phage spread and altered bacterial traits. This phage infection can re-sensitize bacteria to antibiotics, offering a novel therapeutic avenue.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacteriology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa frequently harbors Pf4-related filamentous phages.
  • The role of Pf4 phage in P. aeruginosa virulence is known, but its therapeutic implications are less understood.
  • Understanding phage-antibiotic interactions is crucial for developing new treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how phage and antibiotic therapy affect Pf4 production in P. aeruginosa.
  • To determine if released Pf4 virions can infect other bacterial strains.
  • To analyze the impact of Pf4 infection on the phenotype and antibiotic susceptibility of new hosts.

Main Methods:

  • Exposure of P. aeruginosa to subinhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin and mitomycin C.
  • Infection with lytic phage to induce Pf4 production.
  • Confirmation of Pf4 infection in new strains (PA14, LESB58) using PCR, RFLP, and sequencing.
  • Phenotypic analysis including autoaggregation, motility, biofilm formation, and hydrophobicity.
  • Antibiotic susceptibility testing before and after Pf4 infection.

Main Results:

  • Subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations and lytic phage infection significantly increased Pf4 production.
  • Released Pf4 virions successfully infected and established lysogeny in new P. aeruginosa strains.
  • Pf4 infection altered bacterial phenotypes, decreasing autoaggregation and pyoverdine/pyocyanin production, while increasing motility and biofilm formation.
  • Pf4 infection modified antibiotic susceptibility, with some strains becoming re-sensitized to specific antibiotics.

Conclusions:

  • Therapeutic interventions can enhance Pf4 phage production and spread in P. aeruginosa populations.
  • Lysogenic conversion by Pf4 can significantly alter bacterial characteristics and antibiotic sensitivity.
  • Targeted use of filamentous phages like Pf4 presents a potential strategy for combating antibiotic resistance by re-sensitizing bacteria to antibiotics.
  • Further research is needed to explore this approach cautiously, considering potential unintended consequences of lysogenic conversion.
Keywords:
Pseudomonas aeruginosaPseudomonas phage Pf4biofilmphage inductiontherapyvirulence factors

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