Abstract
Developing new strategies to replace or supplement antibiotics to combat bacterial infection is a pressing task in the field of microbiological research. In this study, we report a lytic enzyme named P9ly deriving from the bacteriophage PSD9 that could infect multidrug-resistant Shigella. This enzyme was identified through whole-genome sequencing of PSD9. The results show that P9ly contains a conserved T4-like_lys domain and belongs to the phage lysozyme family. Recombinant P9ly obtained from protein purification presented biological activity and could digest bacterial cell walls (CW), resulting in the destruction of cell structure and leakage of intracellular components. Furthermore, P9ly exhibited bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity on different strains, especially multidrug-resistant Gram-negative Shigella dysenteriae and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, combined use of P9ly with ceftriaxone sodium (CRO) could decrease necessary dose of the antibiotic used and improve the antibacterial effect. In summary, under the current backdrop of extensive antibiotic usage and the continuous emergence of bacterial resistance, this study provides an insight into developing bacteriophage-based antibacterial agents against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens.
Highlights
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are mainly classified as virulent and temperate phage (Hobbs and Abedon, 2016)
In the 1920s to 1940s, bacteriophages were rapidly developed as effective antibacterial drugs and used to treat bacterial infections (Kutter et al, 2010)
We investigated the lytic enzyme P9ly, encoded by the genome of bacteriophage PSD9 that infects multidrug-resistant Shigella
Summary
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are mainly classified as virulent and temperate phage (Hobbs and Abedon, 2016). Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological particles in the world, and play an important role in the environment, as lysis of host cells can promote organic matter cycling and reduction in the counts of specific bacteria can. In the 1920s to 1940s, bacteriophages were rapidly developed as effective antibacterial drugs and used to treat bacterial infections (Kutter et al, 2010). Multidrug-resistant bacteria are an extremely serious global problem. They are very difficult to treat, and a large number of antibacterial drugs have minimal inhibitory effects on these bacteria. There is an urgent need to discover substitutes for traditional antibiotics
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