Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome
Introduction: Human Breast milk (HBM) is a rich nutrient source as well as a protective agent for the baby. It seems also to be a primary gut inoculator and immune booster. The HBM microbiome is still underexplored while the entero-mammary pathway, including the microbial transfers from the mothers’...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971224007215 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850241048785190912 |
|---|---|
| author | Dr Steven De Soir Dr. Jeroen Waegemans Professor Rob Lavigne Dr. Jean-Paul Pirnay Dr. Maya Merabishvilli Professor Jeremy Barr Professor Françoise Van Bambeke Dr. Daniel De Vos |
| author_facet | Dr Steven De Soir Dr. Jeroen Waegemans Professor Rob Lavigne Dr. Jean-Paul Pirnay Dr. Maya Merabishvilli Professor Jeremy Barr Professor Françoise Van Bambeke Dr. Daniel De Vos |
| author_sort | Dr Steven De Soir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Human Breast milk (HBM) is a rich nutrient source as well as a protective agent for the baby. It seems also to be a primary gut inoculator and immune booster. The HBM microbiome is still underexplored while the entero-mammary pathway, including the microbial transfers from the mothers’ gut into the HBM, is not yet well understood. Although several research groups already showed the presence of phages as well as bacteria, mainly through metagenomic approaches, the isolation of phages and their target bacterial hosts is not yet well described while the implications for the baby are of huge importance for the development of a healthy gut microbiome. Methods: HBM samples were collected at multiple timepoints from one healthy individual. Subsequent centrifugation and filtration followed by an enrichment protocol allowed for the isolation of bacteriophages. Phage characterization was performed with genetic sequencing, host range evaluations along with metabolic assays (Omnilog Biotyper) delineating possible therapeutic potential of the isolated phages. Results & Discussion: In the present work, 6 bacteriophage clones (ADSPa1-6) active against P. aeruginosa and one bacteriophage targeting S. epidermidis (ADSSe) along with a bacterial target strain were de novo isolated from multiple HBM samples. Activity tests on a wide variety of target bacteria showed high therapeutic potential with lytic activity against all but one bacterial strain, while the isolation of a bacterial host strain implies a co-evolutionary aspect. Genetic sequencing additionally revealed a putative depolymerase gene within the genome of phage ADSSe. Conclusion: The HBM study results argue for the existence of a multi-functional entero-mammary pathway with a protective role for the baby beside its nutritional and immunological functions. This preliminary work further establishes the potential role bacteriophages may play in constituting and equilibrating the newly forming gut microbiome but demand further in-depth research into the HBM microbiome. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d592425f01be4fd3b5a1b523686679be |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1201-9712 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-d592425f01be4fd3b5a1b523686679be2025-08-20T02:00:42ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases1201-97122025-03-0115210764610.1016/j.ijid.2024.107646Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiomeDr Steven De Soir0Dr. Jeroen Waegemans1Professor Rob Lavigne2Dr. Jean-Paul Pirnay3Dr. Maya Merabishvilli4Professor Jeremy Barr5Professor Françoise Van Bambeke6Dr. Daniel De Vos7Louvain Drug Research Institute (UCLouvain); LabMCT of the Queen Astrid Military HospitalLaboratory of Gene Technology, KU LeuvenLaboratory of Gene Technology, KU LeuvenLabMCT of the Queen Astrid Military HospitalLabMCT of the Queen Astrid Military HospitalBacteriophage Biology Research Group, Monash UniversityLouvain Drug Research Institute (UCLouvain)LabMCT of the Queen Astrid Military HospitalIntroduction: Human Breast milk (HBM) is a rich nutrient source as well as a protective agent for the baby. It seems also to be a primary gut inoculator and immune booster. The HBM microbiome is still underexplored while the entero-mammary pathway, including the microbial transfers from the mothers’ gut into the HBM, is not yet well understood. Although several research groups already showed the presence of phages as well as bacteria, mainly through metagenomic approaches, the isolation of phages and their target bacterial hosts is not yet well described while the implications for the baby are of huge importance for the development of a healthy gut microbiome. Methods: HBM samples were collected at multiple timepoints from one healthy individual. Subsequent centrifugation and filtration followed by an enrichment protocol allowed for the isolation of bacteriophages. Phage characterization was performed with genetic sequencing, host range evaluations along with metabolic assays (Omnilog Biotyper) delineating possible therapeutic potential of the isolated phages. Results & Discussion: In the present work, 6 bacteriophage clones (ADSPa1-6) active against P. aeruginosa and one bacteriophage targeting S. epidermidis (ADSSe) along with a bacterial target strain were de novo isolated from multiple HBM samples. Activity tests on a wide variety of target bacteria showed high therapeutic potential with lytic activity against all but one bacterial strain, while the isolation of a bacterial host strain implies a co-evolutionary aspect. Genetic sequencing additionally revealed a putative depolymerase gene within the genome of phage ADSSe. Conclusion: The HBM study results argue for the existence of a multi-functional entero-mammary pathway with a protective role for the baby beside its nutritional and immunological functions. This preliminary work further establishes the potential role bacteriophages may play in constituting and equilibrating the newly forming gut microbiome but demand further in-depth research into the HBM microbiome.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971224007215 |
| spellingShingle | Dr Steven De Soir Dr. Jeroen Waegemans Professor Rob Lavigne Dr. Jean-Paul Pirnay Dr. Maya Merabishvilli Professor Jeremy Barr Professor Françoise Van Bambeke Dr. Daniel De Vos Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| title | Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome |
| title_full | Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome |
| title_fullStr | Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome |
| title_short | Isolation of phages active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk, an underexplored microbiome |
| title_sort | isolation of phages active against pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus epidermidis from human breast milk an underexplored microbiome |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971224007215 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT drstevendesoir isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT drjeroenwaegemans isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT professorroblavigne isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT drjeanpaulpirnay isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT drmayamerabishvilli isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT professorjeremybarr isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT professorfrancoisevanbambeke isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome AT drdanieldevos isolationofphagesactiveagainstpseudomonasaeruginosaandstaphylococcusepidermidisfromhumanbreastmilkanunderexploredmicrobiome |