Zhong Huiying, Huang Wenjie, Lin Kate Ting, Zhang Qian, Deng Yuchan, Zhang Rui, Ma Ruijie
Archaeal Biology Center, Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Basis International School Park Lane Harbour, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
BMC Microbiol. 2025 Jul 12;25(1):433. doi: 10.1186/s12866-025-04133-x.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a major foodborne pathogen, contaminates aquatic products and causes significant economic losses in aquaculture while threatening food security and public health. Given the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains, phage therapy has emerged as an effective and environmentally sustainable alternative for controlling vibriosis in aquaculture. In this study, a virulent bacteriophage, vB_VpaP_R28Z (R28Z), which infects V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802, was isolated and comprehensively characterized.
R28Z was isolated from sewage collected at a seafood market in southern China and exhibits pronounced lytic properties against pathogenic Vibrio species prevalent in aquaculture environments, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio diabolicus, and Vibrio alginolyticus. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that R28Z belongs to the podophage morphotype. Genomic analysis indicated that R28Z is a double-stranded DNA phage with a genome size of 43,284 bp and a G + C content of 49.34%. Notably, no genes associated with lysogeny, virulence, or antibiotic resistance were detected in R28Z, suggesting its suitability for therapeutic applications. R28Z demonstrated high efficacy in lysing host cells, with a short latent period of less than 10 min and a large burst size of 113 ± 19 PFU/cell (average ± s.d.). Additionally, R28Z exhibited stability over a broad pH range of 4-10 and at temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 50 °C. Taxonomic assessments validated the novelty of R28Z, suggesting that it represents a new species of the Maculvirus genus and enriches the diversity of vibriophage candidates for therapeutic interventions against V. parahaemolyticus infections.
The newly discovered phage R28Z, characterized by its high lytic efficiency and environmental stability, represents a novel species as a potential alternative biocontrol agent for managing V. parahaemolyticus infections in aquaculture.
副溶血性弧菌是一种主要的食源性病原体，污染水产品，给水产养殖造成重大经济损失，同时威胁食品安全和公众健康。鉴于多重耐药性副溶血性弧菌菌株的流行率不断上升，噬菌体疗法已成为控制水产养殖中弧菌病的一种有效且环境可持续的替代方法。在本研究中，分离并全面表征了一种感染副溶血性弧菌ATCC 17802的烈性噬菌体vB_VpaP_R28Z（R28Z）。
R28Z是从中国南方一个海鲜市场收集的污水中分离出来的，对水产养殖环境中普遍存在的致病性弧菌物种，包括副溶血性弧菌、恶魔弧菌和溶藻弧菌，具有显著的裂解特性。透射电子显微镜（TEM）分析表明，R28Z属于肌尾噬菌体形态型。基因组分析表明，R28Z是一种双链DNA噬菌体，基因组大小为43284 bp，G+C含量为49.34%。值得注意的是，在R28Z中未检测到与溶原性、毒力或抗生素抗性相关的基因，表明其适用于治疗应用。R28Z在裂解宿主细胞方面表现出高效性，潜伏期短于10分钟，裂解量为113±19 PFU/细胞（平均值±标准差）。此外，R28Z在4至10的广泛pH范围内以及4℃至50℃的温度范围内表现出稳定性。分类学评估证实了R28Z的新颖性，表明它代表了黄斑病毒属的一个新物种，并丰富了用于治疗副溶血性弧菌感染的弧菌噬菌体候选物的多样性。
新发现的噬菌体R28Z具有高裂解效率和环境稳定性，作为一种潜在的替代生物防治剂，可用于管理水产养殖中副溶血性弧菌感染，代表了一个新物种。
