Mycobacteriophages: From Petri dish to patient

Abstract

Mycobacteriophages—bacteriophages infecting Mycobacterium hosts—contribute substantially to our understanding of viral diversity and evolution, provide resources for advancing Mycobacterium genetics, are the basis of high-impact science education programs, and show considerable therapeutic potential. Over 10,000 individual mycobacteriophages have been isolated by high school and undergraduate students using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 and 2,100 have been completely sequenced, giving a high-resolution view of the phages that infect a single common host strain. The phage genomes are revealed to be highly diverse and architecturally mosaic and are replete with genes of unknown function. Mycobacteriophages have provided many widely used tools for Mycobacterium genetics including integration-proficient vectors and recombineering systems, as well as systems for efficient delivery of reporter genes, transposons, and allelic exchange substrates. The genomic insights and engineering tools have facilitated exploration of phages for treatment of Mycobacterium infections, although their full therapeutic potential has yet to be realized.

Isolation and Annotation of Xitlalli, a Cluster EK1 Actinobacteriophage Isolated Using Microbacterium foliorum

“…Actinobacteriophages can be found in environments such as soil and water. The isolation and characterization of new actinobacteriophages expand not only our understanding of their genetic diversity and evolution but also our ability to deploy bacteriophages as therapeutic agents for drug-resistant actinobacterial infections ( 1 ). Here, we report on Xitlalli, an actinobacteriophage that was isolated from a soil sample collected in August 2019 near the Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas (29.7675N, 95.3594W), using Microbacterium foliorum NRRL B-24224 and standard procedures ( 2 ).…”

Genome Sequence and Characteristics of the Microbacterium foliorum Cluster EE Bacteriophage Burgy

“…Some Actinobacteria genera, including Microbacterium , can cause opportunistic infections ( 2 , 3 ). The isolation and characterization of viruses that can infect Actinobacteria , actinobacteriophages, not only would be valuable for understanding the diversity and evolution of bacteriophages more generally but also may inform ongoing efforts to develop bacteriophages as therapeutic agents against actinobacterial infections ( 4 ). Here, we report on Burgy, a bacteriophage that infects Microbacterium foliorum .…”

Genome Sequences of Two Gordonia rubripertincta Cluster DJ Bacteriophages, Pherobrine and Burley

“…The isolation and genomic characterization of novel bacteriophages can support the development of therapeutics to address the global increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections ( 1 ). Here, we report the isolation and genome sequence of two lytic bacteriophages, Pherobrine and Burley.…”