Isolation and characterization of Enterococcus phages vB_EfaS_785CC and vB_EfaS_785CS

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Genomics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Phage therapy presents a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics.
• Lysin capacity is crucial for the therapeutic effectiveness of bacteriophages.
• Enterococcus faecalis is a significant opportunistic pathogen, often exhibiting multidrug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel Enterococcus faecalis phages for therapeutic potential.
• To investigate the genomic basis for phenotypic differences in phage lysis ability.
• To explore strategies for enhancing phage lytic capacity for improved biocontrol.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteriophages from aquatic market sewage.
• Phylogenetic classification and identification of isolated phages.
• Comparative genomic analysis to identify genetic determinants of lysis.
• Phenotypic characterization of phage lysis efficiency.

Main Results:

• Two Enterococcus faecalis phages, vB_EfaS_785CC and vB_EfaS_785CS, were isolated and classified.
• Both phages demonstrated rapid lysis and potent activity against multidrug-resistant enterococci.
• Despite high nucleotide similarity, significant phenotypic differences in lysis ability were observed.
• Genomic analysis revealed variable-length homopolymer tracts as the primary cause of lytic differences, affecting tail proteins and DNA metabolism genes.

Conclusions:

• The isolated phages possess significant biocontrol potential against multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis.
• Genomic variations, specifically homopolymer tracts, critically influence phage lysis capacity.
• Understanding these genomic variations can guide the engineering of enhanced phage therapies.