| dc.description.abstract | The present investigation was conducted to isolate and characterize bacteriophages with lytic activity against Acinetobacter baumannii. Acinetobacter is known for its genetic variability and using envelope-associated strategies to defend against antimicrobials. In this study, A. baumannii phages were characterized, based on morphology, host range and genomic analysis. The phages belong to the well-described phage families of the Myoviridae and the Podoviridae.
All four myophages had A.baumannii TP1 as the original host, and the two podophages had A. baumannii Helsinki as the original host. Spotting assays were performed against a panel of 59 A. baumannii isolates to screen for susceptible hosts. The results revealed that A. baumannii myophages display a relatively broader host range of 15-17%, in comparison to the A. baumannii podophages with a host range of 2%. Efficiency of plating (EOP) and microtiter culture-based assays revealed three general phenotypes: phage-sensitive, intermediate sensitivity, and insensitivity. None of the tested strains was sensitive to both the myophages and the podophages. At DNA level, all four myophages are similar, as are the podophages. Genomic annotation indicated these phages lack spanins and their lysis mechanism raise questions not yet answer. Further studies are necessary for these phages to be considered for therapy. | en |
