A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens
The presence of opportunistic pathogens, such as the <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complex (ECC), in fresh vegetables poses a significant health risk, particularly amid the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis. Traditional chemical decontamination methods are often ineffective and these ar...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Alberto Pintor-Cora Andrea Carpintero Ángel Alegría Apostolos Giannis Teresa-María Lopez-Díaz Jesús A. Santos Jose M. Rodríguez-Calleja |
| author_facet | Alberto Pintor-Cora Andrea Carpintero Ángel Alegría Apostolos Giannis Teresa-María Lopez-Díaz Jesús A. Santos Jose M. Rodríguez-Calleja |
| author_sort | Alberto Pintor-Cora |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of opportunistic pathogens, such as the <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complex (ECC), in fresh vegetables poses a significant health risk, particularly amid the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis. Traditional chemical decontamination methods are often ineffective and these are associated with issues such as cross-resistance between antibiotics and biocides, highlighting the need for alternative approaches. This study describes the isolation of a novel phage, FENT2, with anti-ECC activity, obtained from cattle farm sewage. Belonging to the <i>Seunavirus</i> genus, FENT2 did not carry genes associated with lysogenic cycle, antimicrobial resistance, or virulence factors. The phage demonstrated lytic activity against the host strain <i>E. kobei</i> AG07E, which harbored the <i>mcr-9</i> gene, exhibiting a narrow host range that also included <i>E. ludwigii</i> strains. In vitro assays using BioTrac (SY-LAB) impedance technology confirmed the sustained lytic activity of FENT2 under food-related stress conditions, including pH levels from 5 to 7 and NaCl concentrations up to 2%. Furthermore, FENT2 demonstrated bactericidal potential on lettuce leaves, achieving 1 log reduction in bacterial counts of the host strain after 30 min immersion treatment. These findings highlight FENT2 as a promising candidate for biocontrol applications, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional decontamination methods for reducing antimicrobial-resistant ECC contamination in fresh produce. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6dbcc2ee75c5403a9e56cefb99017ce0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-6dbcc2ee75c5403a9e56cefb99017ce02025-08-20T03:43:47ZengMDPI AGApplied Microbiology2673-80072025-02-01512510.3390/applmicrobiol5010025A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy GreensAlberto Pintor-Cora0Andrea Carpintero1Ángel Alegría2Apostolos Giannis3Teresa-María Lopez-Díaz4Jesús A. Santos5Jose M. Rodríguez-Calleja6Department of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainDepartment of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainDepartment of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainSchool of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, University Campus, 73100 Chania, GreeceDepartment of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainDepartment of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainDepartment of Food Hygiene and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainThe presence of opportunistic pathogens, such as the <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complex (ECC), in fresh vegetables poses a significant health risk, particularly amid the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis. Traditional chemical decontamination methods are often ineffective and these are associated with issues such as cross-resistance between antibiotics and biocides, highlighting the need for alternative approaches. This study describes the isolation of a novel phage, FENT2, with anti-ECC activity, obtained from cattle farm sewage. Belonging to the <i>Seunavirus</i> genus, FENT2 did not carry genes associated with lysogenic cycle, antimicrobial resistance, or virulence factors. The phage demonstrated lytic activity against the host strain <i>E. kobei</i> AG07E, which harbored the <i>mcr-9</i> gene, exhibiting a narrow host range that also included <i>E. ludwigii</i> strains. In vitro assays using BioTrac (SY-LAB) impedance technology confirmed the sustained lytic activity of FENT2 under food-related stress conditions, including pH levels from 5 to 7 and NaCl concentrations up to 2%. Furthermore, FENT2 demonstrated bactericidal potential on lettuce leaves, achieving 1 log reduction in bacterial counts of the host strain after 30 min immersion treatment. These findings highlight FENT2 as a promising candidate for biocontrol applications, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional decontamination methods for reducing antimicrobial-resistant ECC contamination in fresh produce.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8007/5/1/25bacteriophagesopportunistic pathogens<i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complexfresh producevegetables |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Pintor-Cora Andrea Carpintero Ángel Alegría Apostolos Giannis Teresa-María Lopez-Díaz Jesús A. Santos Jose M. Rodríguez-Calleja A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens Applied Microbiology bacteriophages opportunistic pathogens <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complex fresh produce vegetables |
| title | A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens |
| title_full | A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens |
| title_fullStr | A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens |
| title_short | A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting <i>mcr-9 Enterobacter kobei</i> with Potential Application in Fresh Leafy Greens |
| title_sort | novel bacteriophage targeting i mcr 9 enterobacter kobei i with potential application in fresh leafy greens |
| topic | bacteriophages opportunistic pathogens <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i> complex fresh produce vegetables |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8007/5/1/25 |
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