CHARACTERIZATION OF ERWINIA AMYLOVORA BACTERIOPHAGES, ISOLATED IN BELARUS

Abstract

Erwinia amylovora bacteriophages can be considered as potential agents for the control of fire blight. In present work bacteriophages Hena2, Roscha1, Dichka, Pixel, and VyarbaS, isolated in Belarus, are characterized. The ability of bacteriophages to multiply and inhibit the bacterial growth was studied. According to the OD600nm measurement data, infection with bacteriophages reduced the E. amylovora growth by 59 ± 9.7–90 ± 7.4 %, as well as the CFU/ml, on average, 40 ± 6.7– 163 ± 86.7 times. When the bacterial cultures of E. amylovora 1/79Sm was infected with bacteriophages, the frequency of the phage-resistant mutants incidence ranged from 3.2 × 10–3 ± 2.2 × 10–3 to 5.1 × 10–3 ± 4.3 × 10–3 %. Relatively high values of the lysis index of the E. amylovora bacterial culture were demonstrated for the studied bacteriophages. However, the presence of viable cells in phage lysates and the high frequency of the phage-resistant mutants incidence indicate the need to apply cocktails of bacteriophages for elimination of bacteria.