Progresses of mycobacteriophage-based Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection

Tuberculosis(TB)remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide,particularly in developing countries.A rapid and efficient method for TB diagnosis is indispensable to check the trend of tuberculosis expansion.The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria has increased the challenge of rapid drug resistance tests.Due to its high specificity and sensitivity,bacteriophage-based diagnosis is intensively pursued.In this review,we mainly described mycobacteriophage-based diagnosis in TB detection,especially two prevalent approaches:fluorescent reporter phage and phage amplified biologically assay(PhaB).The rationale of reporter phage is that phage carrying fluorescent genes can infect host bacteria specifically.Phage amplified biological assay based on the principle that phages can infect the live Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the specimen under suitable conditions and produce plaques.Other phage-based diagnostic methods,such as a combination of the amplified biologically assay and nucleic acid amplification or lateral flow assays,are also actively explored.This review will help us improve the understanding of mycobacteriophages in TB detection and better promote the development of the rapid diagnosis of M.tuberculosis.

Obtaining Mycobacteriophages Active in Concerning Atypical Mycobacteria

Background: The article outlines the ways of preparing and sowing various samples for research with a view to isolating mycobacteriophages (MBphages), as well as developing methods for their isolation. Methods: Experimental studies on the obtaining of MB phages active against tubercle mycobacteria were conducted using samples collected from environmental objects and biological material from the different areas of the country. As an indicator of test-cultures, we have used the following M. kansasii, M. avium, M. scrofulaseum, M. phlei, M. terrae, М. intracellulare, M. smegmatis. For the cultivation of Mycobacteria and MB phages were used the following nutrient media of the company HiMedia: Dubos Broth Base, Dubos Oleic Agar Base, Kirschner Medium Base-Modified, Middlebrook 7H10 Agar Base, Peizer TB Medium Base, Lowenstein Jensen medium base и Sauton’s Fluid Medium. Results: During the research, the following results were obtained: An effective method for obtaining MB phages from environmental objects was select-ed. Four types of Mbphage were obtained, lysing atypical mycobacteria from environmental objects delivered from various areas of the Republic of Ka-zakhstan. Conclusion: Obtained data in the development of the method of obtaining MBphage, allows us to consider it necessary to further study their biological features, as well as the possibility of using them to develop an an-ti-tuberculosis effective agent.

Effect of mycobacteriophage to intracellular mycobateria in vitro

Mycobacterium tuberculosis （ M. tuberculosis） is a pathogen associated with the deaths of millions of people worldwide annually. Although tuberculosis is a treatable disease, the emergence and increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens emphasizes the need for new and innovative anti-microbial strategies. Effective therapeutic regimens, which have existed, are limited by the emergence of drug resistance and the inability of antibiotics to kill dormant or intracellular organisms.

Disruption of <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i>Biofilms Using Bacteriophages Alone or in Combination with Mechanical Stress

Environmental mycobacteria are capable of forming biofilms in low-nutrient environments, and these biofilms may act as reservoirs for opportunistic infections. The purpose of this study was to determine if bacteriophages could disrupt existing biofilms of acid-fast staining Mycobacterium smegmatis. Using the MBEC 96-well plastic peg assay system, M. smegmatis biofilms were created and then tested for their stability in the presence of mycobacteriophages isolated from a Minnesota sphagnum peat bog. All phages tested were lytic and were observed to have weak, intermediate, and strong abilities to disrupt M. smegmatis biofilms. The formation of biofilms was severely impaired in the presence of mycobacteriophages. Phage treatment was also shown to augment?M. smegmatis biofilm disruption by mechanical forces of sonication or water flow. Our study shows that, as with biofilms of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, mycobacterial biofilms are also susceptible to destruction by bacteriophages.