Phagovet

Genomic Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 – Phages

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a type of bacteria that can cause serious illness and death through foodborne outbreaks.

Bacteriophages, which are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria, can be a natural way to control these outbreaks.

In this study, a bacteriophage called UAE_MI-01 was isolated from bird feces in the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

This finding suggests that birds may be a good source of bacteriophages and that these viruses could be used to predict the presence of the host bacteria in animals or the environment.

UAE_MI-01 was found to be a lytic bacteriophage that was stable under a wide range of conditions, including different pH levels, temperatures, and chemical disinfectants.

It had a burst size of nearly 100 plaque-forming units per host cell after a latent period of 20 minutes and an adsorption rate of 1.25 x 10^-7 mL min^-1.

The genome of UAE_MI-01 was 44,281 base pairs long and had an average GC content of 54.7%.

The presence of this bacteriophage in birds suggests the presence of the host bacteria, E. coli O157:H7, in these animals.

Further investigation of other birds, particularly poultry, for the presence of this pathogenic bacterium may be warranted. This is the first reported isolation of an E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage from a bird.

The authors Mohamad Ismail Sultan-Alolama, Amr Amin, Khaled A El-Tarabily, and Ranjit Vijayan published their findings in the article ‘Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Phage UAE_MI-01 Isolated from Birds‘, dated 27 November 2022.

Key topics include:

  • Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a type of bacteria that can cause foodborne outbreaks and is responsible for the majority of these outbreaks worldwide.
  • Bacteriophages, which are natural killers of bacteria, may be a useful tool for predicting the presence of host bacteria in an animal or the environment.
  • The UAE_MI-01 phage, which is a lytic phage that is stable under a range of pH, temperature, and chemical disinfectants, was isolated from bird feces in the United Arab Emirates.
  • The genome of UAE_MI-01 is 44,281 base pairs long with an average GC content of 54.7%.
  • The presence of UAE_MI-01 indicates the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in wild birds, suggesting that other birds, particularly poultry, should be investigated for the presence of this pathogenic bacterium.
  • This is the first report of an E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage isolated from a bird.
  • The study highlights the potential of phages as a tool for predicting the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in animals and the environment.
Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Escherichia coli

Abstract

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 is responsible for the majority of foodborne outbreaks worldwide and may lead to death. Bacteriophages are natural killers of bacteria. All previously reported E. coli O157:H7 phages were isolated from ruminants or swine.

Here, we report for the first time a phage isolated from bird feces in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), designated as UAE_MI-01, indicating birds as a good source of phages.

Thus, phages could be a tool for predicting the presence of the host bacteria in an animal or the environment.

UAE_MI-01 was found to be a lytic phage that was stable at wide ranges of pH, temperature, and chemical disinfectants, and with a burst size of almost 100 plaque-forming units per host cell after a latent period of 20 min and an adsorption rate constant (K) of 1.25 × 10-7 mL min-1.

The phage genome was found to be 44,281 bp long with an average GC content of 54.7%. The presence of the phage indicates the presence of the host cell E. coli O157:H7 in wild birds.

Therefore, other birds, mainly poultry, could be also investigated for the presence of this pathogenic bacterium.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage isolated from a bird.

Keywords: E. coli O157:H7; bacteriophage; characterization; phage genome; phage therapy.

Copyright: the authors.