Novel Bacteriophage Specific against Staphylococcus epidermidis and with Antibiofilm Activity

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 14; no. 6; p. 1340
• Main Authors: Fanaei Pirlar, Rima, Wagemans, Jeroen, Ponce Benavente, Luis, Lavigne, Rob, Trampuz, Andrej, Gonzalez Moreno, Mercedes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 20.06.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Adsorption; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Bacteriophages - genetics; biofilm-associated infection; Biofilms; Efficiency; Genomes; Host range; Humans; Infections; isothermal microcalorimetry; Lysis; Lysogeny; Medical equipment; novel bacteriophage species; Pathogens; pH effects; Phages; Polyethylene glycol; Public health; Sewage; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Structural proteins; Transmission electron microscopy; Transplants & implants; Virulence; whole-genome sequencing; United States > US; Germany; novel bacteriophage species; Staphylococcus epidermidis; biofilm-associated infection; whole-genome sequencing; isothermal microcalorimetry
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v14061340

has emerged as the most important pathogen in infections related to indwelling medical devices, and although these infections are not life-threatening, their frequency and the fact that they are extremely difficult to treat represent a serious burden on the public health system. Treatment is complicated by specific antibiotic resistance genes and the formation of biofilms. Hence, novel therapeutic strategies are needed to fight these infections. A novel bacteriophage CUB-EPI_14 specific to the bacterial species was isolated from sewage and characterized genomically and phenotypically. Its genome contains a total of 46,098 bp and 63 predicted genes, among which some have been associated with packaging and lysis-associated proteins, structural proteins, or DNA- and metabolism-associated proteins. No lysogeny-associated proteins or known virulence proteins were identified in the phage genome. CUB-EPI_14 showed stability over a wide range of temperatures (from -20 °C to 50 °C) and pH values (pH 3-pH 12) and a narrow host range against . Potent antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities were observed when the phage was tested against a highly susceptible bacterial isolate. These encouraging results open the door to new therapeutic opportunities in the fight against resilient biofilm-associated infections caused by .