Characterization of Bacteriophages that Target Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains

Nor Suzira, Deraman (2022) Characterization of Bacteriophages that Target Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

PDF (Please get the password by email to repository@unimas.my , or call ext: 3914 / 3942 / 3933) Nor Suzira(fulltext).pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB)

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently isolated nosocomial pathogen in hospital-acquired infections and they have evolved into becoming resistant to more than one antibiotic, making treatment due to infection by these bacteria more difficult to treat. In order to combat the bacteria evolution, an increased interest in using bacteriophages - the natural 'predator' to the bacteria is studied as they lyse P. aeruginosa with a mechanism independent of any known antibiotics. Hence, the objective of this research is to isolate and characterize the bacteriophages that are specific to P. aeruginosa from wastewater samples that were collected from Kuching Centralized Sewage Treatment Plant in Sarawak, Malaysia. Prospective bacteriophages were purified and characterized based on their host range, pH and thermal stability, multiplicity of infection, morphology, and gene identification. A number of 32 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were isolated and confirmed by 16S rRNA. Bacteriophage host range were carried out with the isolates with four promising bacteriophages namely ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4 with a 78.79%, 60.60%, 93.94%, and 93.94% clear lysis rate respectively. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy displayed the morphology of ZP1 and ZP2 which resembles bacteriophages from the family of Siphoviridae whereas bacteriophages ZP3 and ZP4 resembles bacteriophages from the family of Myoviridae. All the bacteriophages were also relatively stable for up to 50 °C and remained active from pH 3.0 to pH 13.0 with optimal multiplicity of infection of 0.01. Bacteriophage gene identification through tail fibre protein gene found an 82-91% similarities between the four bacteriophages to P. aeruginosa bacteriophage and P. aeruginosa strains in the literature which will aid in determining the bacteriophages further characteristics in the future. The differences possessed by the four bacteriophages including their high efficiency to lyse P. aeruginosa iv isolates made them potentially effective bacteriophage candidates in making bacteriophage mixtures to treat any infection caused by P. aeruginosa

Actions (For repository members only: login required)

View Item