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ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIOPHAGE WITH LYTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST CARBAPENEM RESISTANCE STRAIN OF

Abeer Ameen Baqer1, Norefrina Shafinaz Md Nor2, Huda Salman Alagely3

  • 1BIOTECHNOLOGY DIVISION, DEPARTMENTS OF APPLIED SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, IRAQ.

Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski : Organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego
|March 24, 2023
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The lytic bacteriophage k3w7 shows potential for treating Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase infections. This bacteriophage exhibits favorable characteristics for therapeutic applications against difficult-to-treat bacterial strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
  • Carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae strains are increasingly prevalent and difficult to treat.
  • Bacteriophage therapy presents a promising alternative to antibiotics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the lytic bacteriophage k3w7 for potential therapeutic use.
  • To evaluate the morphology, host range, life cycle, and stability of bacteriophage k3w7.
  • To assess the suitability of k3w7 for combating carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and characterization of bacteriophage k3w7 targeting Klebsiella pneumoniae kP2.
  • Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for morphology assessment.
  • Plaque assays, restriction enzyme digestion, and stability tests (pH, temperature).

Main Results:

  • TEM revealed k3w7 possesses icosahedral heads (100 nm) and contractile sheaths (120 nm), characteristic of the Myoviridae family.
  • Phage growth cycle analysis showed a short latent period (20 min) and a burst size of ~220 PFU/cell.
  • k3w7 demonstrated stability across a broad pH and temperature range, with a 50-kb double-stranded DNA genome.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophage k3w7 exhibits robust characteristics suitable for phage therapy.
  • Its stability and lytic activity make it a viable candidate against carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae.
  • Further research into k3w7 could lead to novel treatments for multidrug-resistant infections.
Keywords:
BacteriophageCarbapenemasesKlebsiella pneumoniaphage therapy

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