Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages specific for Campylobacter jejuni

Microbiol Immunol. 2009 Oct;53(10):559-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2009.00163.x.

Abstract

Human infection by Campylobacter jejuni is mainly through the consumption of contaminated poultry products, which results in gastroenteritis and, rarely, bacteremia and polyneuropathies. In this study, six C. jejuni-specific bacteriophages (CPS1-6) were isolated by the spot-on-the-lawn technique from chicken samples in Korea and characterized for potential use as biocontrol agents. All isolated bacteriophages exhibited a high specificity, being able to lyse only C. jejuni, but not other Gram-negative bacteria, including C. coli, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Gram-positive bacteria. Bacteriophages contain an icosahedral head and a contractile tail sheath in transmission electron microscopy, and possess ds-DNA with an average genome size of approximately 145 kb; therefore, all bacteriophages are categorized into the Myoviridae family. Bacterial lysis studies in liquid media revealed that CPS2 could be used to control the growth of C. jejuni.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteriophages / genetics
  • Bacteriophages / isolation & purification*
  • Bacteriophages / metabolism
  • Bacteriophages / ultrastructure
  • Campylobacter Infections / metabolism
  • Campylobacter Infections / microbiology
  • Campylobacter Infections / prevention & control*
  • Campylobacter jejuni / metabolism
  • Campylobacter jejuni / virology*
  • Chickens
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • DNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Genome, Viral
  • Humans
  • Korea
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Poultry Products / microbiology

Substances

  • DNA, Viral