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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #401315
Research Project: Elucidating the Factors that Determine the Ecology of Human Pathogens in Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Antimicrobial potential of a new Rogue-like Escherichia coli phage UDF157lw against E. coli O157:H7 biofilm

Author
item Liao, Yen-Te
item HO, KAN-JU - Forest Service (FS)
item ZHANG, YUJIE - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Salvador, Alexandra
item Wu, Vivian

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: NA

Technical Abstract: Introduction: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 is the most notorious foodborne pathogen causing high mortality via consumption of contaminated food. The formation of bacterial biofilm has not only deterred the effects of various antimicrobial interventions but also enhanced the pathogenicity of the pathogens. Therefore, it is an urgent need to have alternative measurements for the control. Bacteriophages have been found to mitigate the target bacterial host through lytic infection with the enzymes produced during the phage infection, which have the potential to penetrate the biofilm for mitigation compared to traditional interventions. This study aimed to characterize phage UDF157lw via biological and genomic approaches and determine the phage’s antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli O157:H7 biofilm. Methods: Phage UDF157lw was isolated from bovine feces and subjected to the biological [phage morphology, phage growth factor, and environmental stress (pH and temperature) stability test] and genomic characterization (whole-genome sequencing) prior to the host range test. Antimicrobial activity tests included the efficacy of plating (EOP) against susceptible bacterial strains and the application against E. coli O157:H7 (RM9995) biofilm. Results: UDF157lw is a new Rogue-like phage with a latent period of 15 min and a burst size of 110 pfu per infected cell after infecting E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 35150). The phage remained stable within a wide range of pH (from pH4 to pH11) and temperature (4°C to 65°C). No virulence genes, such as stx, and lysogenic genes, were found. The phage demonstrated high infection efficiencies against different E. coli O157:H7 and generic E. coli strains. Additionally, UDF157lw produced a large plaque size on various E. coli O157:H7 strains, likely due to enzymatic activity during phage infection. Furthermore, UDF157lw reduced the formation of the 48-h E. coli O157:H7 (RM9995) biofilm after the phage treatment for one hour at 37°C. Significance: The findings of this study provide insight into the genomic diversity of the new Rogue-like phage UDF157lw and show the antimicrobial potential against E. coli O157:H7 biofilm.