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Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophages Infecting Staphylococcus epidermidis

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Abstract

Bacteriophages infecting Staphylococcus epidermidis were isolated by mitomycin C induction. Three distinct phages (vB_SepiS-phiIPLA5, vB_SepiS-phiIPLA6, and vB_SepiS-phiIPLA7)—defined by plaque morphology, structure, virion proteins pattern, DNA restriction bands, and host range—were obtained. One-step growth curves of bacteriophages under optimal growth conditions for S. epidermidis F12 revealed eclipse and latent periods of 5–10 and 10–15 min, respectively, with burst sizes of about 5 to 30 PFU per infected cell. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the phages were of similar size and belonged to the Siphoviridae family. Phage phi-IPLA7 had the broadest host range infecting 21 out of 65 S. epidermidis isolates. Phage phi-IPLA5 seemed to be a virulent phage probably derived from phi-IPLA6. Phages phi-IPLA5 and phi-IPLA7 exhibited increasing plaques surrounded by a halo that could be indicative of a polysaccharide depolymerase activity. Viable counts, determined during the infection of S. epidermidis F12, confirmed that phi-IPLA5 had a potent lytic capability and reduced S. epidermidis population by 5.67 log units in 8 h of incubation; in the presence of the mixture of phi-IPLA6 and phi-IPLA7, however, a reduction of 2.27 log units was detected

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Acknowledgments

This research study was supported by grants AGL2009-13144-C02-01 from the Ministry of Education of Spain and IB08-052 from FICYT (Regional Government of Asturias). P.G. was a fellow of the Spanish Ministry of Education Ramón y Cajal Research Programme. We thank Dr. J. M. Rodríguez (Fac. Veterinaria, UCM, Madrid) for providing the S. epidermidis strains.

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  1. Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), Apdo. 85, 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain

    Diana Gutiérrez, Beatriz Martínez, Ana Rodríguez & Pilar García

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  1. Diana Gutiérrez
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  2. Beatriz Martínez
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  3. Ana Rodríguez
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  4. Pilar García
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Correspondence to Pilar García.

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Gutiérrez, D., Martínez, B., Rodríguez, A. et al. Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophages Infecting Staphylococcus epidermidis . Curr Microbiol 61, 601–608 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9659-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9659-5

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