Characterization of Salmonella phage of the genus Kayfunavirus isolated from sewage infecting clinical strains of Salmonella enterica

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 15; p. 1391777
• Main Authors: Juliet, Ramya, Loganathan, Archana, Neeravi, Ayyanraj, Bakthavatchalam, Yamuna Devi, Veeraraghavan, Balaji, Manohar, Prasanth, Nachimuthu, Ramesh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 03-06-2024
• Subjects: bacteriophages; drug resistance; food biocontrol; Microbiology; phage therapy; Salmonella; Salmonella; drug resistance; food biocontrol; bacteriophages; phage therapy
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1391777

The emergence of multi-drug resistance in
, causing food-borne infections, is a significant issue. With over 2,600 serovars in in
sp., it is crucial to identify specific solutions for each serovar. Phage therapy serves as an alternate treatment option. In this study, vB_SalP_792 phage was obtained from sewage, forming plaques in eight out of 13 tested clinical
isolates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination revealed a T7-like morphotype. The phage was characterized by its stability, life cycle, antibiofilm, and lytic ability in food sources. The phage remains stable throughout a range of temperatures (-20 to 70°C), pH levels (3-11), and in chloroform and ether. It also exhibited lytic activity within a range of MOIs from 0.0001 to 100. The life cycle revealed that 95% of the phages attached to their host within 3 min, followed by a 5-min latent period, resulting in a 50 PFU/cell burst size. The vB_SalP_792 phage genome has a dsDNA with a length of 37,281 bp and a GC content of 51%. There are 42 coding sequences (CDS), with 24 having putative functions and no resistance or virulence-related genes. The vB_SalP_792 phage significantly reduced the bacterial load in the established biofilms and also in egg whites. Thus, vB_SalP_792 phage can serve as an effective biocontrol agent for preventing
infections in food, and its potent lytic activity against the clinical isolates of
, sets out vB_SalP_792 phage as a successful candidate for future
studies and therapeutical application against drug-resistant Salmonella infections.