<p>The alarming findings presented in the latest WHO report on the global antimicrobial resistance crisis have redirected scientific attention toward phage-based approaches as a renewed line of defense against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. In this study, four bacteriophages infecting a MDR-<i>Escherichia coli</i> strain were isolated from water sources and subjected to detailed phenotypic and genomic characterization. All phages efficiently inhibited MDR-<i>E. coli</i> at MOIs of 0.1 and 0.01, showing high stability across a broad temperature (4–65&#xa0;°C) and pH (4–10) range. TEM analysis revealed that all phages exhibited a podovirus-morphotype. At 4&#xa0;°C, titers remained stable for 6 months, with only a 1–2 log reduction -over a year. Notably, phage Sem4 exhibited markedly stronger lytic activity than the phage cocktail, fully suppressing bacterial growth. In tap water, phage Sem4 treatment reduced bacterial counts from 10⁷ to 7 × 10⁴ CFU/mL within 8&#xa0;h, with no detectable colonies at 24–48&#xa0;h. Genomic analysis showed that these phages possess linear dsDNA genomes of 44,244–45,205&#xa0;bp, with ~ 45% GC content. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses classified them as novel <i>Vectrevirus</i> members within the <i>Molineuxvirinae</i> subfamily of the <i>Autographiviridae</i> family, sharing less than 95% intergenomic similarity with known <i>Vectrevirus</i> species. No genes associated with antibiotic resistance, toxins, or lysogeny were detected. These findings underscore the potential of - phages as a promising candidate for the development of next-generation biocontrol strategies, especially marking the efficiency of Sem4 in water sanitation systems, paving the way for sustainable and targeted interventions against MDR bacterial contamination.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Unveiling Novel Lytic Bacteriophages as Natural Biocontrol Agents Against Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli: Isolation, Characterization, and In vitro Application

  • Semra Tasdurmazli,
  • Berna Erdogdu,
  • Hamza Saghrouchni,
  • Isil Var,
  • Luís D. R. Melo,
  • Tulin Ozbek

摘要

The alarming findings presented in the latest WHO report on the global antimicrobial resistance crisis have redirected scientific attention toward phage-based approaches as a renewed line of defense against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. In this study, four bacteriophages infecting a MDR-Escherichia coli strain were isolated from water sources and subjected to detailed phenotypic and genomic characterization. All phages efficiently inhibited MDR-E. coli at MOIs of 0.1 and 0.01, showing high stability across a broad temperature (4–65 °C) and pH (4–10) range. TEM analysis revealed that all phages exhibited a podovirus-morphotype. At 4 °C, titers remained stable for 6 months, with only a 1–2 log reduction -over a year. Notably, phage Sem4 exhibited markedly stronger lytic activity than the phage cocktail, fully suppressing bacterial growth. In tap water, phage Sem4 treatment reduced bacterial counts from 10⁷ to 7 × 10⁴ CFU/mL within 8 h, with no detectable colonies at 24–48 h. Genomic analysis showed that these phages possess linear dsDNA genomes of 44,244–45,205 bp, with ~ 45% GC content. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses classified them as novel Vectrevirus members within the Molineuxvirinae subfamily of the Autographiviridae family, sharing less than 95% intergenomic similarity with known Vectrevirus species. No genes associated with antibiotic resistance, toxins, or lysogeny were detected. These findings underscore the potential of - phages as a promising candidate for the development of next-generation biocontrol strategies, especially marking the efficiency of Sem4 in water sanitation systems, paving the way for sustainable and targeted interventions against MDR bacterial contamination.

Graphical Abstract