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Updated: Sep 11, 2025
Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings
Published on: August 19, 2021
Isolation and characterization of novel bacteriophages targeting Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Wakana Yamashita1,2, Yuta Sato1,2, Matthew Imanaka1,2
1Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
Abstract:
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a bacterium often resistant to antibiotics and is a significant cause of nosocomial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Phage therapy has shown promise as a potential treatment for such difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, but research on phages targeting this bacterium is very limited. In this study, we isolated 34 phages using four clinical strains of S. maltophilia and evaluated their infectivity and bactericidal activity. While some phages infected all four strains, many exhibited strain-specific infectivity. We investigated the bacterial growth curves in response to three phages, named Yut1, Yut2, and Yut4, and found that all phages exhibited potent lytic activity against the clinical strains even at low doses. Genome analysis found that the phages did not carry any lysogeny genes, virulence factors, or antibiotic resistance genes, suggesting their high potential as therapeutic phages. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis suggested that Yut1 and Yut4 belong to a novel phage lineage. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of our novel phages to combat the growing antibiotic resistance problem.
Insights
Researchers isolated novel bacteriophages effective against antibiotic-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. These phages show potent lytic activity and lack harmful genes, offering a promising alternative for treating difficult infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Virology
Background:
- Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic pathogen causing difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections.
- Antibiotic resistance in S. maltophilia necessitates alternative therapeutic strategies.
- Research on bacteriophages targeting S. maltophilia remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize bacteriophages with lytic activity against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel phages against multidrug-resistant strains.
- To analyze phage genomes for safety and novelty.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of 34 bacteriophages from clinical S. maltophilia strains.
- Assessment of phage infectivity and bactericidal activity.
- Bacterial growth curve analysis and whole-genome sequencing of selected phages.
Main Results:
- Phages demonstrated potent lytic activity against clinical S. maltophilia strains, even at low doses.
- Genome analysis confirmed the absence of lysogeny, virulence, and antibiotic resistance genes.
- Phylogenetic analysis indicated that two phages represent a novel lineage.
Conclusions:
- Novel bacteriophages exhibit significant therapeutic potential against antibiotic-resistant S. maltophilia.
- These phages are safe candidates for phage therapy due to the absence of undesirable genes.
- The identified phages could offer a viable solution to combatting antimicrobial resistance.
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