Publications

Identification and Characterization of vB_PreP_EPr2, a Lytic Bacteriophage of Pan-Drug Resistant Providencia rettgeri

Mencke JL, He Y, Filippov AA, Nikolich MP, Belew AT, Fouts DE, McGann PT, Swierczewski BE, Getnet D, Ellison DW, Margulieux KR

PMID: 35458437

Abstract

is an emerging opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with reports of increasing antibiotic resistance. Pan-drug resistant (PDR) infections are a growing concern, demonstrating a need for the development of alternative treatment options which is fueling a renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy. Here, we identify and characterize phage vB_PreP_EPr2 (EPr2) with lytic activity against PDR MRSN 845308, a clinical isolate that carries multiple antibiotic resistance genes. EPr2 was isolated from an environmental water sample and belongs to the family , subfamily and genus , with a genome size of 41,261 base pairs. Additional phenotypic characterization showed an optimal MOI of 1 and a burst size of 12.3 ± 3.4 PFU per bacterium. EPr2 was determined to have a narrow host range against a panel of clinical strains. Despite this fact, EPr2 is a promising lytic phage with potential for use as an alternative therapeutic for treatment of PDR infections.