Treatment of <i>E. coli</i> Infections with T4-Related Bacteriophages Belonging to Class <i>Caudoviricetes</i>: Selecting Phage on the Basis of Their Generalized Transduction Capability

Abstract

The problem of the multidrug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is a serious concern, one which only becomes more pressing with every year that passes, motivating scientists to look for new therapeutic agents. In this situation, phage therapy, i.e., the use of phages to combat bacterial infections, is back in the spotlight of research interest. Bacterial viruses are highly strain-specific towards their hosts, which makes them particularly valuable for targeting pathogenic variants amidst non-pathogenic microflora, represented by such commensals of animals and humans as E. coli, S. aureus, etc. However, selecting phages for the treatment of bacterial infections is a complex task. The prospective candidates should meet a number of criteria; in particular, the selected phage must not contain potentially dangerous genes (e.g., antibiotic resistance genes, genes of toxins and virulence factors etc.)—or be capable of transferring them from their hosts. This work introduces a new approach to selecting T4-related coliphages; it allows one to identify strains which may be safer in terms of involvement in the horizontal gene transfer. The approach is based on the search for genes that reduce the frequency of genetic transduction.

Keywords

• phage therapy
• generalized transduction
• horizontal gene transfer
• T4-related phages