Abstract:
The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens has become a major global
health concern. To address this challenge, innovative strategies such as bacteriophage therapy must
be optimised. Genomic characterisation is a crucial step in identifying suitable phage candidates for
combating AMR pathogens. The aim of this study was to characterise seven phages that infect the
Escherichia coli O177 strain using a whole genome sequencing. The analysis of genome sequences
revealed that these phages had linear dsDNA, with genome sizes spanning from 136, 483 to
166,791 bp and GC content varying from 35.39 to 43.63%. Taxonomically, the phages were classifed
under three diferent subfamilies (Stephanstirmvirinae, Tevenvirinae, and Vequintavirinae) and three
genera (Phapecoctavirus, Tequatrovirus, and Vequintavirus) within the class Caudoviricetes. In silico
PhageAI analysis predicted that all the phages were virulent, with confdence levels between 96.07
and 97.26%. The phage genomes contained between 66 and 82 ORFs, which encode hypothetical
and putative functional proteins. In addition, the phage genomes contained core genes associated
with molecular processes such as DNA replication, transcription modulation, nucleotide metabolism,
phage structure (capsid and tail), and lysis. None of the genomes carried genes associated with
undesirable traits such as integrase, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and toxins. The study revealed
high genome and proteome homology among E. coli O177 phages and other known Escherichia
phages. The results suggest that the seven phages are new members of the genera Phapecoctavirus,
Tequatrovirus, and Vequintavirus under the subfamilies Stephanstirmvirinae, Tevenvirinae, and
Vequintavirinae, respectively.
Description:
DATA AVAILABILITY : Sequence data generated and presented in this study have been deposited into the NCBI database under the GenBank Accession numbers; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062524; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062525; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062526; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062527; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062528; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062529; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/OR062530.