Isolation and Characterization of a Lytic Bacteriophage (vB_PmiS-TH) and Its Application in Combination with Ampicillin against Planktonic and Biofilm Forms of Proteus mirabilis Isolated from Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

Proteus mirabilis is one of the most common causes of urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in patients undergoing long-term catheterization. Phage vB_PmiS-TH was isolated from wastewater with high lytic activity against P. mirabilis (TH) isolated from UTI. The phage had rapid adsorption, a large burst size (∼260 PFU per infected cell), and high stability at a wide range of temperatures and pH values. As analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, phage vB_PmiS-TH had an icosahedral head of ∼87 × 62 nm with a noncontractile tail about 137 nm in length and 11 nm in width. It belongs to the family Siphoviridae. Combination of the phage vB_PmiS-TH with ampicillin had a higher removal activity against planktonic cells of P. mirabilis (TH) than the phage or the antibiotic alone. Combination of the phage at a multiplicity of infection of 100 with a high dose of ampicillin (246 µg/mL) showed the highest biofilm removal activity after 24 h. This study demonstrates that using a combination of phage and antibiotic could be significantly more effective against planktonic and biofilm forms of P. mirabilis (TH).