Zeng Huiran, Wang Yuan, Tian Yachen, Yao Xiaoting, Li Yixuan, Xu Linan, Yang Xiangpeng, Zhang Xinglin, Ma Junfei
Medical College, College of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China.
Virol J. 2025 Jul 30;22(1):263. doi: 10.1186/s12985-025-02849-w.
The high-level colonization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) in the gastrointestinal tract could lead to systemic infections such as bacteremia, endocarditis, and urinary tract infections, particularly in hospitalized patients. Given the potent bactericidal activity and host specificity of bacteriophages, phage therapy represents a promising alternative strategy for controlling VRE infections. In this study, we isolated and characterized phage A155, which targets vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VR-Efs) V583. Genomic analyses revealed that it is a member of the Kochikohdavirus genus, while functional characterization defined its optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI), one-step growth kinetics, and stability under varying thermal (20-50 °C) and pH (3.0-11.0) conditions. The phage demonstrated a broad lytic spectrum and effective in vitro antibacterial activity. Furthermore, phage A155 could significantly reduce the VRE intestinal colonization loads by 1.13 orders of magnitude in a mouse model. These findings exhibit the characterization and genome analysis of a novel VR-Efs phage A155, highlighting its therapeutic potential against E. faecalis colonization.
耐万古霉素肠球菌（VRE）在胃肠道的高度定植可能导致全身感染，如菌血症、心内膜炎和尿路感染，尤其是在住院患者中。鉴于噬菌体具有强大的杀菌活性和宿主特异性，噬菌体疗法是控制VRE感染的一种有前景的替代策略。在本研究中，我们分离并鉴定了靶向耐万古霉素粪肠球菌（VR-Efs）V583的噬菌体A155。基因组分析表明它是Kochikohdavirus属的成员，而功能表征确定了其最佳感染复数（MOI）、一步生长动力学以及在不同温度（20-50°C）和pH（3.0-11.0）条件下的稳定性。该噬菌体表现出广泛的裂解谱和有效的体外抗菌活性。此外，在小鼠模型中，噬菌体A155可使VRE肠道定植负荷显著降低1.13个数量级。这些发现展示了新型VR-Efs噬菌体A155的特性和基因组分析，突出了其对抗粪肠球菌定植的治疗潜力。
