Characterization and complete genome of the virulent Myoviridae phage JD007 active against a variety of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from different hospitals in Shanghai, China

Background: The implementation of phage therapy is re-emerging with the increase in widespread antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Methods: Staphylococcus phage JD007 was characterized and its complete genome sequence analysed. Results: Staphylococcus phage JD007 was classified as belonging to the Myoviridae family based on its morphology, as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Its lytic activity was stable between pH 5-11 and below 42 degrees C; moreover, an absorbance curve showed that nearly 90% of the viral particles had adsorbed to its host after a 20 min co-incubation. The complete genome size is 141,836 bp, making JD007 one of the largest Staphylococcus phages of Myoviridae. No identifiable resistance or virulence genes were found in the JD007 genome. JD007 was able to lyse 95% of S. aureus isolates, including the prevalent ST239-MRSA and ST59-MRSA strains isolated from different hospitals in Shanghai, China, and inhibition assays showed that JD007 could inhibit S. aureus growth at a multiplicity of infection of 0.1. Conclusions: The results suggested that Staphylococcus phage JD007 can potentially be used in phage therapy or for the detection of S. aureus.