Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jumpei Fujiki, Tomohiro Nakamura, Keisuke Nakamura, Keita Nishida, Yurika Amano, Yusaku Watanabe, Satoshi Gondaira, Masaru Usui, Masaru Shimizu, Kazuhiko Miyanaga, Shinya Watanabe, Tomohito Iwasaki, Kotaro Kiga, Tomoko Hanawa, Hidetoshi Higuchi, Teiji Sawa, Yasunori Tanji, Yutaka Tamura, Longzhu Cui, Hidetomo Iwano
Summary: The study assessed the biological stability and clinical potential of Staphylococcus virus Phi SA012. The virus showed a wide host range and efficient lytic activity. Experiments on mice demonstrated the ability of Phi SA012 to spread and accumulate in specific organs without causing inflammation. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of appropriate dosing and administration periods for effective phage therapy.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Houqi Ning, Hong Lin, Jingxue Wang, Xuebing He, Xiaoqian Lv, Lei Ju
Summary: A phage qdsa002 targeting MRSA was isolated and its endolysin Lys84 and domains were purified. Lys84 showed strong lytic activity and effectively removed MRSA biofilms, with the combination of CHAP and Amidase_2 domains exhibiting close to 90% of Lys84's activities.
ENZYME AND MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Kornienko, Dmitry Bespiatykh, Maja Malakhova, Roman Gorodnichev, Nikita Kuptsov, Egor Shitikov
Summary: Phage therapy is a hopeful approach to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, it requires the isolation of new phages or the search for suitable phages in existing libraries. This study proposes a simple PCR method to differentiate between two families of Staphylococcus phages and eleven genera of Klebsiella phages, allowing for rapid screening and identification.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carumathy Chandran, Hong Yun Tham, Raha Abdul Rahim, Swee Hua Erin Lim, Khatijah Yusoff, Adelene Ai-Lian Song
Summary: This study demonstrates that Lactococcus lactis secreting endolysin and VAPGH can inhibit the growth of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus, potentially providing a new approach for the treatment of MDRSA infection.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jiai Yan, Ruijin Yang, Suhuai Yu, Wei Zhao
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is a prevalent foodborne pathogen that poses a threat to human health, especially with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains like MRSA. The study found that the endolysin LysGH15 and its catalytic domain CHAP(LysGH15) exhibited strong antimicrobial efficacy against S. aureus, with differing optimal activity conditions. The sensitivity to NaCl concentration also varied between LysGH15 and CHAP(LysGH15), affecting their lytic activity levels.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Feng Wang, Yao Xiao, Yao Lu, Zheng-Yu Deng, Xian-Yu Deng, Lian-Bing Lin
Summary: This study reports a lytic enzyme, P9ly, derived from a bacteriophage that can infect multidrug-resistant bacteria. P9ly can digest bacterial cell walls and exhibits bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity on different strains. The combined use of P9ly with ceftriaxone sodium improves the antibacterial effect.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Fritz Eichenseher, Bjorn L. Herpers, Paul Badoux, Juan M. Leyva-Castillo, Raif S. Geha, Mathijs van der Zwart, James McKellar, Ferd Janssen, Bob de Rooij, Lavanja Selvakumar, Christian Roehrig, Johan Frieling, Mark Offerhaus, Martin J. Loessner, Mathias Schmelcher
Summary: In this study, two chimeric enzymes were constructed to selectively kill Staphylococcus aureus without affecting commensal skin bacteria. One of the enzymes showed higher activity in multiple in vitro assays. The formulated enzyme was effective at killing S. aureus on reconstituted human epidermis and significantly reduced bacterial numbers in a mouse model.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jessica Duarte da Silva, Luis D. R. Melo, Silvio B. Santos, Andrew M. Kropinski, Mariana Fonseca Xisto, Roberto Sousa Dias, Isabela da Silva Paes, Marcella Silva Vieira, Jose Junior Ferreira Soares, Davide Porcellato, Vinicius da Silva Duarte, Sergio Oliveira de Paula
Summary: In this study, the biological, genomic, and structural proteomic features of a new jumbo phage vB_SauM-UFV_DC4 (DC4) were reported. DC4 exhibited strong killing activity against Staphylococcus aureus and showed stability at alkaline conditions. The complete genome of DC4 encoded several proteins with unknown functions and had similar lytic proteins and depolymerase activity with closely related jumbo phages.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Sha Liu, Yin Zhao, Andrew Hayes, Karen Hon, Guimin Zhang, Catherine Bennett, Hua Hu, John Finnie, Sandra Morales, Linda Shearwin, Alkis J. Psaltis, Keith Shearwin, Peter-John Wormald, Sarah Vreugde
Summary: Subinhibitory concentrations of protein synthesis inhibitor (PSI) antibiotics showed synergy when combined with phages in treating Staphylococcus aureus infections, sensitizing phage-resistant strains and promoting phage infection in vitro and in vivo. This suggests the potential use of phage-PSI antibiotic combination therapies for difficult-to-treat infections caused by phage-resistant S. aureus and MRSA strains.
Article
Immunology
Ganga S. Moorthy, Rachel G. Greenberg, Chi D. Hornik, Cara Cassino, Parviz Ghahramani, Karan R. Kumar, Vance G. Fowler, Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez
Summary: Exebacase, a newly developed antimicrobial drug, shows potential as a safe and effective treatment option for severe infections, but further studies are needed to determine optimal dosing in children.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jun-Hyeok Yu, Do-Won Park, Jeong-A. Lim, Jong-Hyun Park
Summary: This study reveals a new type of staphylococcal endolysin - LysSAP33, which shows broader lytic activity and higher resistance to biofilms compared to LysK-like endolysin in terms of temperature, pH, and NaCl concentrations.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lucie Kuntova, Ivana Maslanova, Radka Oborilova, Hana Simeckova, Adela Finstrlova, Pavol Bardy, Marta Siborova, Liudmyla Troianovska, Tibor Botka, Petr Gintar, Ondrej Sedo, Zdenek Farka, Jiri Doskar, Roman Pantucek
Summary: This study describes a resistance mechanism targeting kayviruses that is encoded by a prophage. The mechanism belongs to a broader group of abortive infections, characterized by suicidal behavior of infected cells that are unable to produce phage progeny, thus ensuring the survival of the host population. Since the majority of staphylococcal strains are lysogenic, our findings are relevant for the advancement of phage therapy.
Article
Virology
Hyonoo Joo, Sijia M. Wu, Isha Soni, Caroline Wang-Crocker, Tyson Matern, James Peter Beck, Catherine Loc-Carrillo
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of implant-related infections in the form of biofilms. The heavy use of broad-spectrum antibiotics against these pathogens contributes to the problem of antibiotic-resistant infections. Bacteriophages have the potential to be an alternative therapy.
Article
Virology
Yuzuki Shimamori, Shoichi Mitsunaka, Hirotaka Yamashita, Tohru Suzuki, Tomoe Kitao, Tomoko Kubori, Hiroki Nagai, Shigeki Takeda, Hiroki Ando
Summary: Atopic dermatitis is often associated with the overgrowth of Staphylococcus aureus, and phage therapy shows promising clinical applications in treating skin infections by reducing the bacterial load and disease exacerbation. Typical commensal bacteria in healthy skin can also help reduce S. aureus resistance to phage therapy.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Do-won Park, Young-Duck Lee, Jong-Hyun Park
Summary: LysSAP27, a phage-encoded endolysin produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli, showed high activity at neutral pH and 30 degrees C, with its lytic activity upregulated by calcium ions. Application of 2 mu M LysSAP27 to S. aureus-contaminated milk led to a significant bactericidal effect, reducing bacterial titer by 2.8 log CFU/mL within 1 hour and 3.4 log CFU/mL within 2 hours. Therefore, LysSAP27 could be a promising antimicrobial agent for preventing staphylococcal food poisoning in food.
FOOD SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lucia Fernandez, Diana Gutierrez, Pilar Garcia, Ana Rodriguez
Summary: This study investigated how low concentrations of a virulent phage in some Staphylococcus aureus strains promoted the formation of DNA-rich biofilms. Through analyzing phage propagation and pH evolution during biofilm development, the study showed how environmental cues can tightly coordinate the dynamics between phage and host, impacting the architecture and transcriptional profile of the bacterial population in the biofilm.
Article
Microbiology
Diana Gutierrez, Lorena Rodriguez-Rubio, Patricia Ruas-Madiedo, Lucia Fernandez, Ana Belen Campelo, Yves Briers, Martin Weiss Nielsen, Karl Pedersen, Rob Lavigne, Pilar Garcia, Ana Rodriguez
Summary: A series of engineered proteins based on endolysins were designed and screened, with LysRODI Delta Ami identified as having high lytic activity, stability, and antimicrobial properties to effectively prevent and treat Staphylococcus aureus skin infections.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Lucia Fernandez, Maria Dolores Cima-Cabal, Ana Catarina Duarte, Ana Rodriguez, Maria del Mar Garcia-Suarez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: Pneumonia, whether viral or bacterial, presents challenges to healthcare systems and effective antimicrobial strategies. Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pneumonia is a main concern, and alternative therapeutics like phage therapy may offer a solution. Regulatory hurdles and research difficulties remain obstacles to the clinical use of phage therapy.
Article
Microbiology
Lucia Fernandez, Ana Catarina Duarte, Beatriz Martinez, Ana Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: This study compares the draft genome sequences of Staphylococcus aureus V329, a Bap-producing strain, and a derived mutant (BIM-1) resistant to phage phiIPLA-RODI, revealing a point mutation in the gene tagO in the mutant strain.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Felipe Molina, Manuel Menor-Flores, Lucia Fernandez, Miguel A. Vega-Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: The application of bacteriophages as antibacterial agents has many benefits in the post-antibiotic age. However, there is currently no consensus pipeline for phage cocktail development. Researchers have introduced a new method that considers the host range and individual phage-host interactions to design the phage mixtures that best suppress the target bacteria.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Claudia Rendueles, Ana Catarina Duarte, Susana Escobedo, Lucia Fernandez, Ana Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia, Beatriz Martinez
Summary: This review summarizes the recent examples of the combined use of bacteriocins and bacteriophages to improve food preservation and reduce the risks associated with foodborne bacteria. Bacteriocins have been extensively studied, while the potential of bacteriophages as food biopreservatives is relatively new.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Virology
Andrea Jurado, Lucia Fernandez, Ana Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: Despite occurring at the microscopic scale, the armed race between phages and their bacterial hosts involves multiple mechanisms. Understanding the parameters of this microscopic war is crucial for utilizing phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant human pathogens.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Seila Agun, Lucia Fernandez, Ana Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: This study compares the potential of LysRODI and its derivative LysRODI & UDelta;Ami to decrease Staphylococcus aureus contamination in milk. The engineered protein, LysRODI & UDelta;Ami, showed higher efficacy in reducing bacterial counts and faster elimination of contamination, making it a promising candidate for milk biocontrol.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ekaterina A. Kukushkina, Ana Catarina Duarte, Giuseppe Tartaro, Maria Chiara Sportelli, Cinzia Di Franco, Lucia Fernandez, Pilar Garcia, Rosaria Anna Picca, Nicola Cioffi
Summary: In this study, thin self-standing films with potential antimicrobial synergistic activity were produced by a simple green chemical synthesis and overnight thermal treatment. The films' properties were studied using various techniques, with a focus on developing an alternative to conventional antimicrobial materials. The resulting material showed excellent antimicrobial and film-forming properties, making it promising for applications in food packaging.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Cristina Allende-Prieto, Lucia Fernandez, Seila Agun, Pablo Rodriguez-Gonzalvez, Beatriz Martinez, Pilar Garcia, Ana Rodriguez
Summary: This article discusses the application of near-infrared spectroscopy combined with multivariate classification methods in the dairy industry for detecting bacterial contamination in milk. The study found that NIR was accurate and reliable in detecting the presence of biofilms in milk, and it was effective in distinguishing between contaminated and uncontaminated samples. Additionally, the technology was able to classify samples belonging to different strains of bacteria. The results demonstrated the potential of this technology as a rapid and accurate method for identifying bacterial contamination in the dairy sector.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Olivia Youssef, Seila Agun, Lucia Fernandez, Samy A. Khalil, Ana Rodriguez, Pilar Garcia
Summary: This study investigates the combination therapy of bacteriophage, engineered lytic protein, and bacteriocin in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus contamination in cheese production. The results show that the combination treatment leads to a greater reduction in the pathogen population, but the effect is additive rather than synergistic. Moreover, increasing the calcium concentration enhances the activity of the lytic protein, reducing the required protein amount.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)