New Bacteriophage Pseudomonas Phage Ka2 from a Tributary Stream of Lake Baikal

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing severe biofilm-associated infections.
• Multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa leads to low treatment efficacy and high mortality.
• Bacteriophage therapy offers a potential alternative for treating resistant bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacteriophage targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the isolated bacteriophage, Pseudomonas phage Ka2, against P. aeruginosa clinical isolates and biofilms.
• To assess the potential of phage Ka2 as an adjunct therapy to antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas phage Ka2 from Lake Baikal.
• Transmission electron microscopy for phage morphology analysis.
• Genome sequencing and analysis of coding sequences.
• In vitro testing against P. aeruginosa clinical isolates and biofilms, including antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Main Results:

• Pseudomonas phage Ka2, a novel Pbunavirus, was isolated and characterized with specific morphological and genomic features.
• The bacteriophage lysed 70% of tested P. aeruginosa clinical isolates.
• Phage Ka2 significantly reduced antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) against planktonic and biofilm-embedded P. aeruginosa, especially in combination with antibiotics like cefepime, amikacin, and colistin.

Conclusions:

• Pseudomonas phage Ka2 is a promising lytic bacteriophage with potential for treating P. aeruginosa infections.
• Combined therapy with phage Ka2 and antibiotics demonstrates enhanced efficacy against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa and its biofilms.
• Further research into phage Ka2 could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for challenging P. aeruginosa infections.