Identification and Characterization of vB_PreP_EPr2, a Lytic Bacteriophage of Pan-Drug Resistant <i>Providencia rettgeri</i>

Jaime L. Mencke; Yunxiu He; Andrey A. Filippov; Mikeljon P. Nikolich; Ashton T. Belew; Derrick E. Fouts; Patrick T. McGann; Brett E. Swierczewski; Derese Getnet; Damon W. Ellison; Katie R. Margulieux

doi:10.3390/v14040708

Viruses (Mar 2022)

Identification and Characterization of vB_PreP_EPr2, a Lytic Bacteriophage of Pan-Drug Resistant <i>Providencia rettgeri</i>

Jaime L. Mencke,
Yunxiu He,
Andrey A. Filippov,
Mikeljon P. Nikolich,
Ashton T. Belew,
Derrick E. Fouts,
Patrick T. McGann,
Brett E. Swierczewski,
Derese Getnet,
Damon W. Ellison,
Katie R. Margulieux

Affiliations

Jaime L. Mencke: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Yunxiu He: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Andrey A. Filippov: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Mikeljon P. Nikolich: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Ashton T. Belew: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Derrick E. Fouts: J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
Patrick T. McGann: Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Brett E. Swierczewski: Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Derese Getnet: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Damon W. Ellison: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Katie R. Margulieux: Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v14040708
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 4
p. 708

Abstract

Read online

Providencia rettgeri is an emerging opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with reports of increasing antibiotic resistance. Pan-drug resistant (PDR) P. rettgeri infections are a growing concern, demonstrating a need for the development of alternative treatment options which is fueling a renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy. Here, we identify and characterize phage vB_PreP_EPr2 (EPr2) with lytic activity against PDR P. rettgeri MRSN 845308, a clinical isolate that carries multiple antibiotic resistance genes. EPr2 was isolated from an environmental water sample and belongs to the family Autographiviridae, subfamily Studiervirinae and genus Kayfunavirus, with a genome size of 41,261 base pairs. Additional phenotypic characterization showed an optimal MOI of 1 and a burst size of 12.3 ± 3.4 PFU per bacterium. EPr2 was determined to have a narrow host range against a panel of clinical P. rettgeri strains. Despite this fact, EPr2 is a promising lytic phage with potential for use as an alternative therapeutic for treatment of PDR P. rettgeri infections.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords