title: SLPW: A Virulent Bacteriophage Targeting Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus In vitro and In vivo.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a Gram-positive pathogen causing a variety of infections in humans and animals. Extensive use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). As an alternative antibacterial agent against drug-resistant S. aureus, a lytic phage, designated SLPW, was isolated from fecal sewage in a pig farm. The SLPW was morphologically classified under Podoviridae and contains a double-stranded DNA genome. The genome of SLPW was 17,861 bp (29.35% G+C) containing 20 open reading frames and lacked regions encoding lysogeny-related integrase gene and cI repressor gene. Phage SLPW showed a broad host range and high efficiency of plating against various types of S. aureus. One-step growth curve showed a short latency period (10 min) and a long lytic period (120 min). Phage SLPW remained stable under a wide range of temperatures or pH and was almost unaffected in chloroform or ultraviolet light. Further, it efficiently lysed MRSA strains in vitro and in vivo. Intraperitoneal phage administration at 1 h post-infection cured the mice and reduced the bacterial expression of inflammatory cytokines in mice. Specifically, the phage SLPW displayed a wide antibacterial spectrum. It was therapeutically effective against intra-abdominal infection in mice harboring different multilocus sequence typing (MLST) types of S. aureus strains. Therefore, phage SLPW is a potential therapeutic agent against MRSA infections.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhaofei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Panpan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wenhui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hengan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yaxian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianhe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus; infection; phage SLPW; therapy