Author(s):
Ferreira, Rute Vanessa Novais ; Pinto, Graça ; Presa, Eva ; Oleastro, Mónica ; Silva, Catarina ; Vieira, Luís ; Sousa, Cláudia Sofia Cunha ; Pires, Diana Priscila Penso ; Figueiredo, Ceu ; Melo, Luís Daniel Rodrigues
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/95913
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04469%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/9471 - RIDTI/PTDC%2FSAU-PUB%2F29182%2F2017/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/POR_NORTE/SFRH%2FBD%2F146496%2F2019/PT;
Subject(s): Antimicrobial resistance genes; Helicobacter pylori; PCR; Prophages; Virulence factors
Description
The increase of antibiotic resistance calls for alternatives to control Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium associated with various gastric diseases. Bacteriophages (phages) can be highly effective in the treatment of pathogenic bacteria. Here, we developed a method to identify prophages in H. pylori genomes aiming at their future use in therapy. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique tested five primer pairs on 74 clinical H. pylori strains. After the PCR screening, 14 strains most likely to carry prophages were fully sequenced. After that, a more holistic approach was taken by studying the complete genome of the strains. This study allowed us to identify 12 intact prophage sequences, which were then characterized concerning their morphology, virulence, and antibiotic-resistance genes. To understand the variability of prophages, a phylogenetic analysis using the sequences of all H. pylori phages reported to date was performed. Overall, we increased the efficiency of identifying complete prophages to 54.1 %. Genes with homology to potential virulence factors were identified in some new prophages. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship among H. pylori-phages, although there are phages with different geographical origins. This study provides a deeper understanding of H. pylori-phages, providing valuable insights into their potential use in therapy. © The Authors
This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering, and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020 and Project Helicophage PTDC/SAU-PUB/29182/2017 [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029182]. Rute Ferreira acknowledges the FCT grant (https://doi.org/10.54499/SFRH/BD/146496/2019). Luís D. R. Melo acknowledges funding from the FCT through the Scientific Employment Stimulus Program https://doi.org/10.54499/2021.00221.CEECIND/CP1664/CT0002).
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
