Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>

The high pathogenicity rate of carbapenem-resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (CRPA) has resulted in substantial economic losses for humans and the breeding industry. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new alternatives to mitigate antibiotic use. Phage therapy has demon...

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Main Authors: Li-Ping Zhang, Chang-An Li, Yongda Zhao, Zeqing Wang, Junjie Wang, Feng-Jing Song, Bao-Tao Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1587
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author Li-Ping Zhang
Chang-An Li
Yongda Zhao
Zeqing Wang
Junjie Wang
Feng-Jing Song
Bao-Tao Liu
author_facet Li-Ping Zhang
Chang-An Li
Yongda Zhao
Zeqing Wang
Junjie Wang
Feng-Jing Song
Bao-Tao Liu
author_sort Li-Ping Zhang
collection DOAJ
description The high pathogenicity rate of carbapenem-resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (CRPA) has resulted in substantial economic losses for humans and the breeding industry. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new alternatives to mitigate antibiotic use. Phage therapy has demonstrated promising results in numerous studies. In this study, lytic phages targeting CRPA were isolated from feces and river water samples in Shandong, China. A total of 94 phage strains with CRPA as hosts were obtained, exhibiting lysis rates that ranged from 29% to 76% for <i>P. aeruginosa</i> derived from humans and different types of animals (n = 246). We further examined five representative phages, the host bacteria of which were CRPA from clinical patients and poultry, and these phages included two myoviruses and three podoviruses. Their optimal multiplicities of infection (MOIs) ranged from 10<sup>−3</sup> to 10<sup>−5</sup>, with latent periods of less than 5 to 15 min and burst durations of 140 to 175 min, resulting in burst sizes of 133 to 352 PFU/cell. All five phages exhibited the ability to survive at temperatures up to 60 °C and within pH levels of 3 to 11. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that these five phages were all double-stranded DNA phages and did not possess resistance genes or virulence factors. The two myoviruses, sharing similar sequences, were classified into the genus <i>Pakpunavirus</i>, with a size of 92,509 bp and 92,293 bp, 149 to 152 ORFs and 20 to 22 tRNAs. In contrast, the three similar podoviruses belong to the genus <i>Phikmvvirus</i> and all contained a perforin–lyase system, with a size of 43.35 kb, a GC content of 62%, 49 to 50 ORFs and 16 to 20 tRNAs. A spray disinfection experiment demonstrated that the phage cocktail exhibited a high sterilization effect after spraying and showed good efficacy against cement and metal surfaces. This study provides foundational information for further research into the elimination of CRPA in the environment.
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spelling doaj-art-ae09518bc6904e07b8f77439cede1bc02025-08-20T02:47:22ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-07-01137158710.3390/microorganisms13071587Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>Li-Ping Zhang0Chang-An Li1Yongda Zhao2Zeqing Wang3Junjie Wang4Feng-Jing Song5Bao-Tao Liu6College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, ChinaQingdao Bolin Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Qingdao 266000, ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, ChinaInstitute of Plant Protection, Qingdao Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266100, ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, ChinaThe high pathogenicity rate of carbapenem-resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (CRPA) has resulted in substantial economic losses for humans and the breeding industry. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new alternatives to mitigate antibiotic use. Phage therapy has demonstrated promising results in numerous studies. In this study, lytic phages targeting CRPA were isolated from feces and river water samples in Shandong, China. A total of 94 phage strains with CRPA as hosts were obtained, exhibiting lysis rates that ranged from 29% to 76% for <i>P. aeruginosa</i> derived from humans and different types of animals (n = 246). We further examined five representative phages, the host bacteria of which were CRPA from clinical patients and poultry, and these phages included two myoviruses and three podoviruses. Their optimal multiplicities of infection (MOIs) ranged from 10<sup>−3</sup> to 10<sup>−5</sup>, with latent periods of less than 5 to 15 min and burst durations of 140 to 175 min, resulting in burst sizes of 133 to 352 PFU/cell. All five phages exhibited the ability to survive at temperatures up to 60 °C and within pH levels of 3 to 11. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that these five phages were all double-stranded DNA phages and did not possess resistance genes or virulence factors. The two myoviruses, sharing similar sequences, were classified into the genus <i>Pakpunavirus</i>, with a size of 92,509 bp and 92,293 bp, 149 to 152 ORFs and 20 to 22 tRNAs. In contrast, the three similar podoviruses belong to the genus <i>Phikmvvirus</i> and all contained a perforin–lyase system, with a size of 43.35 kb, a GC content of 62%, 49 to 50 ORFs and 16 to 20 tRNAs. A spray disinfection experiment demonstrated that the phage cocktail exhibited a high sterilization effect after spraying and showed good efficacy against cement and metal surfaces. This study provides foundational information for further research into the elimination of CRPA in the environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1587characterizationgenomic analysis<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>carbapenem resistancelytic phage
spellingShingle Li-Ping Zhang
Chang-An Li
Yongda Zhao
Zeqing Wang
Junjie Wang
Feng-Jing Song
Bao-Tao Liu
Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
Microorganisms
characterization
genomic analysis
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
carbapenem resistance
lytic phage
title Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
title_full Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
title_fullStr Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
title_full_unstemmed Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
title_short Characterization, Genomic Analysis and Application of Five Lytic Phages Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
title_sort characterization genomic analysis and application of five lytic phages against carbapenem resistant i pseudomonas aeruginosa i
topic characterization
genomic analysis
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
carbapenem resistance
lytic phage
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1587
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