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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413748
Research Project: Integrated Research to Improve Aquatic Animal Health in Warmwater Aquaculture

Location: Aquatic Animal Health Research

Title: Novel lytic bacteriophage AhFM11 as an effective therapy against hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila

Author
item SANKAPPA, NITHIN - Orise Fellow
item KALLAPPA, GIRISHA - Karnataka Veterinary, Animal And Fisheries Sciences University
item BOREGOWDA, KUSHALA - Karnataka Veterinary, Animal And Fisheries Sciences University
item RAMACHANDRA, NAMRUTHA - Karnataka Veterinary, Animal And Fisheries Sciences University
item SURESH, PRITHVISAGAR - Nitte University Centre For Science Education & Research
item BALAKRISHNA, DHEERAJ - Karnataka Veterinary, Animal And Fisheries Sciences University
item BALLAMOOLE, KRISHNA - Nitte University Centre For Science Education & Research
item THANGAVEL, SURESH - Karnataka Veterinary, Animal And Fisheries Sciences University
item SAHOO, LOPAMUDRA - Central Agricultural University
item Lange, Miles
item Deshotel, Michael
item Abernathy, Jason

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2024
Publication Date: 7/23/2024
Citation: Sankappa, N.M., Kallappa, G.S., Boregowda, K., Ramachandra, N.M., Suresh, P.K., Balakrishna, D.S., Ballamoole, K.K., Thangavel, S., Sahoo, L., Lange, M.D., Deshotel, M.B., Abernathy, J.W. 2024. Novel lytic bacteriophage AhFM11 as an effective therapy against hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila. Scientific Reports. 14:16882. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67768-2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67768-2

Interpretive Summary: Several farmed fish species, including carps, tilapia, salmon, and catfish, have experienced significant economic losses in aquaculture due to motile Aeromonas septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila. Bacteriophages, also known as phages, infect bacterial cells and are ubiquitous in the environment. They are species-specific and can even be strain-specific within a species. In this study, we identified a novel lytic bacteriophage infecting hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh), the bacterium responsible for heavy losses in U.S. aquaculture. This is the first report of a phage against vAh, labelled as AhFM11. Therapeutic application of monophage AhFM11 in fish showed up to 100% survival when challenged with vAh. Our findings support that phage AhFM11 may have application as a biocontrol agent against vAh as an alternative to use of antibiotics.

Technical Abstract: Several farmed fish species, including carps, tilapia, salmon, and catfish, have experienced significant economic losses in aquaculture due to motile Aeromonas septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila. In the present study, a novel lytic bacteriophage infecting hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) was isolated and characterized. This is the first report of a phage against vAh. Phage AhFM11 demonstrated lytic activity against both vAh strains and the A. hydrophila reference strain ATCC 35654. The AhFM11 genome was sequenced and assembled, comprising 168,243 bp with an average G+C content of 41.5%. The genome did not harbor any antibiotic resistance genes. Genomic information along with transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage AhFM11 belongs to the Myoviridae family. Therapeutic application of monophage AhFM11 in fish showed 100% survival in injection, 95% in immersion and 93% in oral feeding of phage top-coated feed. Fish and chicken meat spiked with A. hydrophila and phage showed significant reduction of A. hydrophila. These findings support that phage AhFM11 can be used as a biocontrol agent against vAh as an alternative to antibiotics.