Isolation, characterization, and genomic analysis of vB_PaeP_TUMS_P121, a new lytic bacteriophage infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause life-threatening nosocomial infections. The alarming increase in antibiotic resistance has led to an urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches, such as phage therapy, which has shown promising results in many studies. In this study, P121, a new lytic Pseudomonas phage, was isolated and characterized. Whole-genome sequencing showed that it has a genome of 73,001 bp that contains 91 predicted coding sequences. No genes involved in virulence or lysogeny were found in the genome, thus making it potentially safe for therapeutic applications. Genomic and phylogenetic analysis indicated that P121 is a member of the genus Litunavirus, family Schitoviridae. The present study provides some basic information for further research on treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.