Temperate Stutzerimonas Phage Encoding Toxin-Antitoxin System Genes Represents a Novel Genus

Stutzerimonas have been extensively studied due to their remarkable metabolic and physiological diversity.However,research on its phages is currently limited.In this study,we isolated a novel double-stranded DNA(dsDNA)phage,vB_SstM-PG1,from the marine environment that infects Stutzerimonas stutzeri G1.Its dsDNA genome is 37204 bp long with a G/C content of 64.14%and encodes 54 open reading frames.The phage possesses a tail packaging structure that is different from known Stutzerimonas stutzeri phages and exhibits structural protein characteristics similar to those of temperate phages.In addition,two genes of toxin-antitoxin system,including YdaS_antitoxin and HEPN_SAV_6107,were found in the vB_SstM-PG1 genome and play important roles in regulating host growth and metabolism.With phylogenetic tree and comparative genomic analysis,it has been determined that vB_SstM-PG1 is not closely related to any phages previously identified in the GenBank database.Instead,it has a connection with enigmatic,uncultured viruses.Specifically,the vB_SstM-PG1 virus exhibits an average nucleotide identity of over 70%with six uncultivated viruses identified in the IMG/VR v4 database.This significant finding has resulted in the identification of a novel viral genus known as Metabovirus.

A review on re-emerging bacteriophage therapy in the era of XDR

In the present medicine world antibiotic resistance is one of the key threats to universal health coverage.Researchers continue to work hard to combat this global health concern.Phage therapy,an age-old practice during the early twentieth century,was outshined by the discovery of antibiotics.With the advent of widespread antibiotic resistance,phage therapy has again redeemed itself as a potential alternative owing to its adeptness to target bacteria precisely.Limited side effects,the ability to migrate to different body organs,a distinct mode of action,and proliferation at the infection site,make phages a profitable candidate to replace conventional antibiotics.The progressive outcome of numerous in vitro studies and case reports has validated the clinical efficacy of phage therapy.The bright perspective of using phages to treat bacterial infections has fueled enormous medical research to exploit their potential as therapeutics.The gaps in the information about phages and the lack of consent for clinical trials is major hurdle for consideration of phage therapy.Crafting phage therapy as a reality in medicine requires a coordinated effort from different fraternities.With this review,we aim to emphasize the importance of phage therapy in modern medicine.This review explains their historical journey,basic phage biology,cross-talk with the host immunity,obstacles with phage therapy,and their possible remedies.Comprehensive data on the various significant clinical trials of phage therapy has been presented.We evaluated the efficacy of antibiotics and phage therapy in part and in combination,along with recent progress and future perspectives of phage therapy.

Identification and epitope mapping of anti-p72 single-chain antibody against African swine fever virus based on phage display antibody library

African swine fever virus(ASFV)is a lethal pathogen that causes severe threats to the global swine industry and it has already had catastrophic socio-economic effects.To date,no licensed prophylactic vaccine exists.Limited knowledge exists about the major immunogens of ASFV and the epitope mapping of the key antigens.As such,there is a considerable requirement to understand the functional monoclonal antibodies(mAbs)and the epitope mapping may be of utmost importance in our understanding of immune responses and designing improved vaccines,therapeutics,and diagnostics.In this study,we generated an ASFV antibody phage-display library from ASFV convalescent swine PBMCs,further screened a specific ASFV major capsid protein(p72)single-chain antibody and fused with an IgG Fc fragment(scFv-83-Fc),which is a specific recognition antibody against ASFV Pig/HLJ/2018 strain.Using the scFv-83-Fc mAb,we selected a conserved epitope peptide(221MTGYKH226)of p72 retrieved from a phage-displayed random peptide library.Moreover,flow cytometry and cell uptake experiments demonstrated that the epitope peptide can significantly promote BMDCs maturation in vitro and could be effectively uptaken by DCs,which indicated its potential application in vaccine and diagnostic reagent development.Overall,this study provided a valuable platform for identifying targets for ASFV vaccine development,as well as to facilitate the optimization design of subunit vaccine and diagnostic reagents.

Biofilm removal mediated by Salmonella phages from chicken-related source

Salmonella and their biofilm formation are the primary bacterial causes of foodborne outbreaks and crosscontamination. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of Salmonella phages as an alternative technology for biofilm removal. In this work, 21 Salmonella phages were isolated from a chicken farm and slaughter plant and the phage(CW1)with the broadest spectrum was characterized. Complete genome sequence analysis revealed that the genomes of phage CW1 is composed of 41 763 bp with 58 open reading frames(ORFs)and a holin-endolysin system and it does not encode any virulence or lysogeny. A phage cocktail consisted of CW1(with the broadest spectrum of 70.49%)and CW11, M4 and M10(with a high lytic activity of more than 67.11%)was established. Treatment with the cocktail reduced the cells in the developing biofilm and mature biofilm by 0.79 lg(CFU/cm~2)and 0.4 lg(CFU/cm~2), respectively. More dead cells and scattered extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Raman analysis found that carbohydrates and proteins were the identification receptors for scattered EPS. This finding suggests that this phage cockta il has potential applications for the sterilization of Salmonella biofilm during meat processing.

用Phage88快速检测结核分枝杆菌

目的 建立一种特异性强、灵敏度高的致病性分枝杆菌的检测及药敏试验方法。方法 应用可表达荧光素酶的结核分枝杆菌噬菌体 Phage88,采用生物发光方法对不同细菌的发光反应和药敏试验进行检测。结果 Phage88特异地对各种分枝杆菌发光 ,对非分枝杆菌发光值很低 ,两者差异有显著性 ,不同的分枝杆菌发光值有差异 :卡介苗的发光值最高 ,结核杆菌的发光值最低 ;在含抗结核药物的培养基中 ,耐药结核杆菌的发光强度比非耐药结核杆菌强 ,其强度有明显差异。结论 用 Phage88噬菌体检测结核分枝杆菌是一种快速、敏感的检测和药敏试验方法。

Simultaneous Expression of Vitreoscilla Globin Gene and Lytic Genes of Phage A in a Novel Recombinant Escherichia Coli Used for Production of PHB

Exogenous Vitreoscilla globin gene (vgb), lytic genes of phage A with S amber mutation (S-RRz) and poly(B-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) biosynthetic genes (phbCAB) were cloned into a same Escherichia coli cell, simultaneously or respectively. Six novel strains containing phbCAB and vgb with or without lytic genes were constructed. Strain VG1 (pTU14), in which vgb, phbCAB and S-RRz could all be successfully expressed, has superior characteristics in cell growth and PHB accumulation, while the results of strains containing vgb and phbCAB without S- RRz were not better than that of strains harbored ph&CAB only. The simultaneous expression of vgb and S- RRz in the recombinant VG1 (pTU14) showed a great potential for low-cost production of PHB.

噬菌体多肽phage20抗胃癌肝转移作用的实验研究

目的 鉴定选择性噬菌体多肽phage2 0是否具有抗胃癌肝高转移细胞XGC9811-L肝转移的作用。方法 采用胃浆膜下裸鼠原位接种转移模型 ,观察phage2 0对胃癌细胞XGC9811-L肝转移能力的影响。裸鼠随机分为实验组 (phage2 0孵育组 12只 ) ,对照组 (XGC9811-L组 12只、M13wt孵育组 12只 ) ,原位接种后 10天、5周解剖裸鼠 ,观察肝转移率、转移瘤的数目及原发瘤的体积。结果 在原位接种后 10天 ,各组未发现肝转移灶 ,接种后5周phage2 0孵育组、XGC9811-L未孵育组、M13孵育组肝转移率分别为 :2 0 % ,10 0 % ,80 % ;肝转移灶的数目为 0 ,9.5± 2 .8,7.1± 4 .71;原发瘤的体积为 0 .6 5± 0 .4 32 ,0 .5 2 8± 0 .2 96 ,0 .5 82± 0 .348。与对照组相比phage2 0孵育组的肝转移率和转移灶的数目明显减少 ,P <0 .0 5 ,但在原发瘤的体积方面 3者间无显著差别 P >0 .0 5。结论 phage2 0可抑制胃癌肝高转移潜能细胞XGC9811-L肝转移能力 ,但对其生长无影响。

Phage Display技术在抗体库中的应用现状

PhageDisplay技术是将外源蛋白通过与丝状噬菌体外壳蛋白融合而将外源蛋白表达于噬菌体颗粒的表面。该技术已被应用于噬菌体抗体库中，为单克隆抗体的制备及鼠单抗的人源化提供了一条有效的途径。它可以使人们在体外模拟体内抗体产生的过程，构建总抗体库，不经细胞融合，甚至不经免疫制备针对任何抗原的单克隆抗体。本文综述了该技术近年来在抗体库中的应用进展。

Phage therapy: An alternative to antibiotics in the age of multi-drug resistance

The practice of phage therapy, which uses bacterial viruses(phages) to treat bacterial infections, has been around for almost a century. The universal decline in the effectiveness of antibiotics has generated renewed interest in revisiting this practice. Conventionally, phage therapy relies on the use of naturally-occurring phages to infect and lyse bacteria at the site of infection. Biotechnological advances have further expanded the repertoire of potential phage therapeutics to include novel strategies using bioengineered phages and purified phage lytic proteins. Current research on the use of phages and their lytic proteins against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, suggests phage therapy has the potential to be used as either an alternative or a supplement to antibiotic treatments. Antibacterial therapies, whether phage-or antibiotic-based, each have relative advantages and disadvantages; accordingly, many considerations must be taken into account when designing novel therapeutic approaches for preventing and treating bacterial infection. Although much about phages and human health is still being discovered, the time to take phage therapy serious again seems to be rapidly approaching.

Bacteriophages, revitalized after 100 years in the shadow of antibiotics

The year 2015 marks 100 years since Dr.Frederick Twort discovered the"filterable lytic factor",which was later independently discovered and named "bacteriophage" by Dr.Felix d’Herelle.On this memorable centennial,it is exciting to see a special issue published by Virologica Sinica on Phages and Therapy.In this issue,readers will not only fi nd that bacteriophage research is a

Bacteriophages and their applications in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B virus infection

Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a major global health challenge leading to serious disorders such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, there exist various diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for HBV infection. However, prevalence and hazardous effects of chronic viral infection heighten the need to develop novel methodologies for the detection and treatment of this infection. Bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect bacterial cells, with a long-established tradition in molecular biology and biotechnology have recently been introduced as novel tools for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection. Bacteriophages, due to tremendous genetic flexibility, represent potential to undergo a huge variety of surface modifications. This property has been the rationale behind introduction of phage display concept. This powerful approach, together with combinatorial chemistry, has shaped the concept of phage display libraries with diverse applications for the detection and therapy of HBV infection. This review aims to offer an insightful overview of the potential of bacteriophages in the development of helpful prophylactic(vaccine design), diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for HBV infection thereby providing new perspec-tives to the growing field of bacteriophage researches directing towards HBV infection.

Isolation and characterization of glacier VMY22, a novel lytic cold-active bacteriophage of Bacillus cereus

As a unique ecological system with low temperature and low nutrient levels, glaciers are considered a "living fossil" for the research of evolution. In this work, a lytic cold-active bacteriophage designated VMY22 against Bacillus cereus MYB41-22 was isolated from Mingyong Glacier in China, and its characteristics were studied. Electron microscopy revealed that VMY22 has an icosahedral head(59.2 nm in length, 31.9 nm in width) and a tail(43.2 nm in length). Bacteriophage VMY22 was classified as a Podoviridae with an approximate genome size of 18 to 20 kb. A one-step growth curve revealed that the latent and the burst periods were 70 and 70 min, respectively, with an average burst size of 78 bacteriophage particles per infected cell. The pH and thermal stability of bacteriophage VMY22 were also investigated. The maximum stability of the bacteriophage was observed to be at pH 8.0 and it was comparatively stable at p H 5.0–9.0. As VMY22 is a cold-active bacteriophage with low production temperature, its characterization and the relationship between MYB41-22 and Bacillus cereus bacteriophage deserve further study.

Generation and selection of immunized Fab phage display library against human B cell lymphoma

The approval of using monoclonal antibodies as a targeted therapy in the management of patients with B cell lymphoma has led to new treatment options for this group of patients. Production ofmonoclonal antibodies by the traditional hybridoma technology is costly, and the resulting murine antibodies often have the disadvantage of triggering human anti-mouse antibody （HAMA） response. Therefore recombinant Fab antibodies generated by the phage display technology can be a suitable alternative in managing B cell lymphoma. In this study, we extracted total RNA from spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with human B lymphoma cells, and used RT-PCR to amplify cDNAs coding for the κ light chains and Fd fragments of heavy chains. After appropriate restriction digests, these cDNA fragments were successively inserted into the phagemid vector pComb3H-SS to construct an immunized Fab phage display library. The diversity of the constructed library was approximately 1.94× 10^7. Following five rounds of biopanning, soluble Fab antibodies were produced from positive clones identified by ELISA. From eight positive clones, FabC06, FabC21, FabC43 and FabC59 were selected for sequence analysis. At the level of amino acid sequences, the variable heavy domains （VH） and variable light domains （VL） were found to share 88-92% and 89-94% homology with sequences coded by the corresponding murine germline genes respectively. Furthermore, reactivity with membrane proteins of the B cell lymphoma was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. These immunized Fab antibodies may provide a valuable tool for further study of B cell lymphoma and could also contribute to the improvement of disease therapy.

Phage lytic enzymes: a history

There are many recent studies regarding the efficacy of bacteriophage-related lytic enzymes: the enzymes of ‘bacteria-eaters' or viruses that infect bacteria. By degrading the cell wall of the targeted bacteria, these lytic enzymes have been shown to efficiently lyse Gram-positive bacteria without affecting normal flora and non-related bacteria. Recent studies have suggested approaches for lysing Gram-negative bacteria as well(Briersa Y, et al., 2014). These enzymes include: phage-lysozyme, endolysin, lysozyme, lysin, phage lysin, phage lytic enzymes, phageassociated enzymes, enzybiotics, muralysin, muramidase, virolysin and designations such as Ply, PAE and others. Bacteriophages are viruses that kill bacteria, do not contribute to antimicrobial resistance, are easy to develop, inexpensive to manufacture and safe for humans, animals and the environment. The current focus on lytic enzymes has been on their use as anti-infectives in humans and more recently in agricultural research models. The initial translational application of lytic enzymes, however, was not associated with treating or preventing a specifi c disease but rather as an extraction method to be incorporated in a rapid bacterial detection assay(Bernstein D, 1997).The current review traces the translational history of phage lytic enzymes–from their initial discovery in 1986 for the rapid detection of group A streptococcus in clinical specimens to evolving applications in the detection and prevention of disease in humans and in agriculture.

Bacteriophage secondary infection

Phages are credited with having been first described in what we now, officially, are commemorating as the 100 th anniversary of their discovery. Those one-hundred years of phage history have not been lacking in excitement, controversy, and occasional convolution. One such complication is the concept of secondary infection, which can take on multiple forms with myriad consequences. The terms secondary infection and secondary adsorption, for example, can be used almost synonymously to describe virion interaction with already phage-infected bacteria, and which can result in what are described as superinfection exclusion or superinfection immunity. The phrase secondary infection also may be used equivalently to superinfection or coinfection, with each of these terms borrowed from medical microbiology, and can result in genetic exchange between phages, phage-on-phage parasitism, and various partial reductions in phage productivity that have been termed mutual exclusion, partial exclusion, or the depressor effect. Alternatively, and drawing from epidemiology, secondary infection has been used to describe phage population growth as that can occur during active phage therapy as well as upon phage contamination of industrial ferments. Here primary infections represent initial bacterial population exposure to phages while consequent phage replication can lead to additional, that is, secondary infections of what otherwise are not yet phage-infected bacteria. Here I explore the varying meanings and resultant ambiguity that has been associated with the term secondary infection. I suggest in particular that secondary infection, as distinctly different phenomena, can in multiple ways influence the success of phage-mediated biocontrol of bacteria, also known as, phage therapy.

Bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents against major pathogens in swine： a review

In recent years, the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria has become a global concern which has prompted research into the development of alternative disease control strategies for the swine industry. Bacteriophages （viruses that infect bacteria） offer the prospect of a sustainable alternative approach against bacterial pathogens with the flexibility of being applied therapeutically or for biological control purposes. This paper reviews the use of phages as an antimicrobial strategy for controlling critical pathogens including Salmonella and Eschefich[a coli with an emphasis on the application of phages for improving performance and nutrient digestibility in swine operations as well as in controlling zoonotic human diseases by reducing the bacterial load spread from pork products to humans through the meat,

Screening for PreS specific binding ligands with a phage displayed peptides library

AIM:To construct a random peptide phage display library and search for peptides that specifically bind to the PreS region of hepatitis B virus (HBV). METHODS: A phage display vector, pFuse8, based on the gene 8 product (pⅧ) of M13 phage was made and used to construct a random peptide library. Ecoli derived thioredoxin-PreS was purified with Thio-bond beads, and exploited as the bait protein for library screening. Five rounds of bio-panning were performed. The PreS-binding specificities of enriched phages were characterized with phage ELISA assay. RESULTS: A phage display vector was successfully constructed as demonstrated to present a pⅧ fused HBV PreSl epitope on the phage surface with a high efficiency. A cysteine confined random peptide library was constructed containing independent clones exceeding 5±108 clone forming unit (CFU). A pool of phages showing a PreS-binding specificity was obtained after the screening against thio-PreS with an enrichment of approximately 400 times. Five phages with high PreS-binding specificities were selected and characterized. Sequences of the peptides displayed on these phages were determined. CONCLUSION: A phage library has been constructed, with random peptides displaying as pVIII-fusion proteins. Specific PreS-binding peptides have been obtained, which may be useful for developing antivirals against HBV infection.

Phage display selection on whole cells yields a small peptide specific for HCV receptor human CD81

The human CD81(hCD81),the most recently proposed receptor of hepatitis C virus(HCV),can especifically bind to HCV envelope glycoprotein 2(E2).In this study,hCD81-expressing murine NIH/3T3 cells were used to select hCD81-binding peptides from a phage displayed nonapeptide library(PVIII9aaCys).Eighteen of the 75clones selected from the library showed specific binding to the hCD81-expressing NIH/3T3 cells by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and competitive inhibition test.Twelve out of the 18 clones shared the amino acid motif SPQYWTGPA.Sequence comparison of the motif showed no amino acid homology with the native HCV E2.The motif-containing phages could competitively inhibit the ability of HCV E2 binding to native hCD81-expressing MOLT-4 cells,and induce HCV E2 specific immune response in vivo.These results suggest that the selected motif SPQYWTGPA should be a mimotope of HCV E2 to bind to hCD81 molecules.Our findings cast new light on developing HCV receptor antagonists.

An overview on application of phage display technique in immunological studies

Phage display is very strong technique in drug discovery and development. Phage display has many applications in improving the immunological studies. Development of monoclonal antibody, peptides, peptidomimetics and epitope mapping are main application of phage display. Selection of monoclonal antibody or peptides that are displayed on the surface of the phages can be occurred through biopanning process. In biopanning process phage library is incubated with antigen and particular phages can be identified and isolated. Increasing the stringency in the biopanning rounds can be help to select phages with high affinity and specificity. Here, we describe an overview of phage display application with focusing on monoclonal antibody production and epitope mapping.

Selection of phages and conditions for the safe phage therapy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens forced us to consider the phage therapy as one of the possible alternative approaches to treatment. The purpose of this paper is to consider the conditions for the safe, long-term use of phage therapy against various infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We describe the selection of the most suitable phages, their most effective combinations and some approaches for the rapid recognition of phages unsuitable for use in therapy. The benefi ts and disadvantages of the various different approaches to the preparation of phage mixtures are considered, together with the specifi c conditions that are required for the safe application of phage therapy in general hospitals and the possibilities for the development of personalized phage therapy.