Autor(es): Oliveira, Hugo Alexandre Mendes ; Santos, Sílvio Roberto Branco ; Pires, Diana Priscila Penso ; Boeckaerts, Dimitri ; Pinto, Graça ; Domingues, Rita ; Carrera, Jennifer ; Briers, Yves ; Lavigne, Rob ; Schmelcher, Mathias ; Dötsch, Andreas ; Azeredo, Joana
Data: 2023
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/84652
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Assunto(s): Citrobacter; Bacterial infection; Bacteriophage; Long tail fiber; Control; Diagnostics
Citrobacter koseri is an emerging Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, which causes urinary tract infections. We isolated and characterized a novel S16-like myovirus CKP1 (vB\_CkoM\\_CkP1), infecting C. koseri. CkP1 has a host range covering the whole C. koseri species, i.e., all strains that were tested, but does not infect other species. Its linear 168,463-bp genome contains 291 coding sequences, sharing sequence similarity with the Salmonella phage S16. Based on surface plasmon resonance and recombinant green florescence protein fusions, the tail fiber (gp267) was shown to decorate C. koseri cells, binding with a nanomolar affinity, without the need of accessory proteins. Both phage and the tail fiber specifically bind to bacterial cells by the lipopolysaccharide polymer. We further demonstrate that CkP1 is highly stable towards different environmental conditions of pH and temperatures and is able to control C. koseri cells in urine samples. Altogether, CkP1 features optimal in vitro characteristics to be used both as a control and detection agent towards drug-resistant C. koseri infections.
