title: Essential role of calcium in the infection process of broad-spectrum methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage.
abstract: Phage therapy presents an alternative therapeutic option in treating infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains not responding to antibiotic therapy. However, it is essential to study the role of external factors that may influence the yield and potency of phage preparations intended for use in various in vitro and in vivo studies. The present study focuses on the effects of calcium in the entire infection process of a broad-spectrum lytic bacteriophage: MR-10. The presence of calcium increased the adsorption rate of the phage and also participated in the process of penetration of the phage genome into the host cytoplasm. A final concentration of 5 mM of calcium ions supplemented in soft agar during the phage titration process significantly increased the phage titer. Hence, incorporation of such divalent cations during the isolation of lytic phages active against MRSA strains and during the preparation of high-titer active phage preparations would definitely increase the isolation frequency and the final phage yield. This will contribute towards more effective phage preparations for use in treatments against MRSA infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhibber
authors.forename: Tarsem
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000821:virology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000628:therapy; D053585:Virus Attachment / Q000187:drug effects*; D053586:Virus Internalization / Q000187:drug effects*; D057074:Virus Release / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: Adsorption; Bacteriophage; Calcium; Divalent cations; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus