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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
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Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

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Complete genome sequence of Burkholderia cenocepacia bacteriophage Karil-mokiny-1

Jack S Canning1,2, Kak-Ming Ling1,3, Daniel R Laucirica1

  • 1Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Microbiology Resource Announcements
|July 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

A novel bacteriophage targeting Burkholderia cenocepacia, a bacterium causing severe respiratory infections, was discovered in wastewater. This virus, classified as Irusalimvirus, shows no genes linked to bacterial resistance or virulence.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The Burkholderia cepacia complex is a group of opportunistic pathogens notorious for causing severe respiratory tract infections, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems or underlying lung conditions like cystic fibrosis.
  • The rise of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens necessitates the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies, such as phage therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize bacteriophages with lytic activity against specific strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.
  • To investigate the genomic features of a newly isolated bacteriophage for potential therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of bacteriophages from environmental samples, specifically wastewater.
  • Genomic sequencing and analysis of the isolated bacteriophage.
  • Bioinformatic analysis to identify genes related to lysogeny, bacterial resistance, and virulence.

Main Results:

  • A bacteriophage exhibiting lytic activity against Burkholderia cenocepacia was successfully isolated from wastewater.
  • The bacteriophage possesses a genome size of 70,144 bp and has been taxonomically classified within the Irusalimvirus genus.
  • Genomic analysis revealed the absence of genes associated with lysogeny, bacterial resistance mechanisms, or virulence factors.

Conclusions:

  • The isolated Irusalimvirus bacteriophage represents a promising candidate for phage therapy against Burkholderia cenocepacia infections.
  • Its lack of lysogenic, resistance, or virulence genes suggests a potentially safe and effective lytic agent for combating these challenging infections.
Keywords:
Burkholderia cepacia complexantimicrobial resistancebacteriophagecystic fibrosisgenome

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