Abstract
The development of antimicrobial resistance has become a global concern. One approach to overcome the problem of drug resistance is the application of bacteriophages. This study aimed at characterizing three phages isolated from sewage, which show lytic activity against clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Morphology, genetics and biological properties, including host range, adsorption rate, latent time, phage burst size and lysis profiles, were studied in all three phages. As analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), phages vB_SauM-A, vB_SauM-C, vB_SauM-D have a myovirion morphology. One of the tested phages, vB_SauM-A, has relatively rapid adsorption (86% in 17.5 min), short latent period (25 min) and extremely large burst size (~500 plaque-forming units (PFU) per infected cell). The genomic analysis revealed that vB_SauM-A, vB_SauM-C, vB_SauM-D possess large genomes (vB_SauM-A 139,031 bp, vB_SauM-C 140,086 bp, vB_SauM-D 139,088 bp) with low G+C content (~30.4%) and are very closely related to the phage K (95–97% similarity). The isolated bacteriophages demonstrate broad host range against MDR S. aureus strains, high lytic activity corresponding to strictly virulent life cycle, suggesting their potential to treat S. aureus infections.
Highlights
Staphylococcus aureus is the prime cause of hospital-acquired infections
S. aureus infections can be difficult to treat because of the prevalence of S. aureus strains resistant to β-lactam antibiotics
Phages can be found in all habitats and be isolated relatively easy and at low cost
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus is the prime cause of hospital-acquired infections. It is associated with a number of diseases in humans, ranging from superficial to invasive infections such as pneumonia and sepsis [1]. S. aureus infections can be difficult to treat because of the prevalence of S. aureus strains resistant to β-lactam antibiotics (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—MRSA). In 2017, the percentage of invasive MRSA isolates in Europe ranged from 1% in Norway to 44.4% in Romania, with a population-weighted mean of 16.9% [2]. Treatment of S. aureus infections is a challenge because of MRSA resistance towards β-lactams antibiotics but because many isolates exhibit resistance to other antimicrobial agents, for example, macrolides, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol and fluoroquinolones, leading to the emergence of multidrug resistant S. aureus (MDRSA). Problems connected with antibiotic treatment necessitate the investigation and development of novel treatment strategies
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