Investigating the novel Escherichia coli bacteriophage Jgk1 as a potential antimicrobial agent

Enterobacteriaceae are significant opportunistic pathogens in the environment, impacting both biological and human health. The rise in antibiotic-resistant strains has compelled the exploration of bacteriophages as alternative biological control agents. In this study, we isolated a bacteriophage JgK1 specific to Escherichia coli from environmental samples. This bacteriophage can effectively lyse Escherichia coli jg1, exhibiting an optimal MOI of 0.01 and an average mutation rate of 1.96 × 10^-7. One-step growth curve analysis revealed an incubation period of 25 min and a release amount of approximately 430.75 pfu/infection center. It can withstand high temperatures of 55 °C. Additionally, whole genome sequencing (WGS) confirmed a genome size of 74,059 bp, containing 107 open reading frames (ORF), with no virulence or resistance-related genes, nor lysogenic genes. Comparative genomic analysis indicated lower coverage compared to other known isolated bacteriophages, with the highest coverage being 72%. This study suggests that bacteriophage JgK1 has the potential to serve as an effective biological control antibacterial agent, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics for managing Escherichia coli infections.