vB-Ea-5: a lytic bacteriophage against multi-drug-resistant Enterobacter aerogenes

Fatemeh Habibinava; Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari; Mohsen Zargar; Salehe Sabouri Shahrbabak; Mohammad Soleimani

doi:10.18502/ijm.v13i2.5984

Fatemeh Habibinava Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Mohsen Zargar Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Salehe Sabouri Shahrbabak Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammad Soleimani Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v13i2.5984

Keywords: Drug resistance; Bacteriophages; Waste water; Enterobacter aerogenes; Myoviridae

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Multi-drug-resistant Enterobacter aerogenes is associated with various infectious diseases that cannot be easily treated by antibiotics. However, bacteriophages have potential therapeutic applications in the control of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we aimed to isolate and characterize of a lytic bacteriophage that can lyse specifically the multi-drug-resistant (MDR) E. aerogenes.

Materials and Methods: Lytic bacteriophage was isolated from Qaem hospital wastewater and characterized morphologically and genetically. Next-generation sequencing was used to complete genome analysis of the isolated bacteriophage.

Results: Based on the transmission electron microscopy feature, the isolated bacteriophage (vB-Ea-5) belongs to the family Myoviridae. vB-Ea-5 had a latent period of 25 minutes, a burst size of 13 PFU/ml, and a burst time of 40 min. Genome sequencing revealed that vB-Ea-5 has a 135324 bp genome with 41.41% GC content. The vB-Ea-5 genome codes 212 ORFs 90 of which were categorized into several functional classes such as DNA replication and modification, transcriptional regulation, packaging, structural proteins, and a host lysis protein (Holin). No antibiotic resistance and toxin genes were detected in the genome. SDS-PAGE of vB-Ea-5 proteins exhibited three major and four minor bands with a molecular weight ranging from 18 to 50 kD.

Conclusion: Our study suggests vB-Ea-5 as a potential candidate for phage therapy against MDR E. aerogenes infections.