Biological Control of Yersiniosis with Bacteriophages


Türe M., Aygür E., Cebeci A., Ustaoğlu D., Öztürk R. Ç., Altinok I.

International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Trabzon, Turkey, 24 - 26 October 2023, pp.34

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • City: Trabzon
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.34
  • Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Yersiniosis is a serious bacterial fish disease caused by Yersinia ruckeri that can infect a variety of freshwater and saltwater fish species. Yersiniosis is also known as enteric red mouth disease. Yersiniosis has become one of the most extensively distributed fish diseases in Türkiye during the past three decades. Alternative treatment options should be developed since the majority of bacteria are antibiotic resistant. Bacteriophage treatment may be a more environmentally friendly strategy for managing infectious bacterial diseases. In the present study, the phenotype, kinetics, and genetics of three lytic phages, YP-NIN, YP-3, and YP-10, specific to Y. ruckeri, Yr-NIN, Yr-3, and Yr-10 strains, respectively, were characterized. All phages had a short latent period of between 10 and 40 minutes, and their burst sizes ranged from 10 to 45 plaque-forming units (PFU) per infected cell. Almost all phages were able to survive pH values ranging from 4 to 10 and temperatures ranging from -20 to 50°C. In addition, these phages demonstrated lytic activity against their own host bacterial strains, but not against other fish pathogenic bacteria. Due to differences in enzyme sensitivity, RFLP analysis confirmed that all phages are distinct from one another. The genomes of the YP-3 and YP10 phages were resistant to the BamHI and HindIII enzymes but vulnerable to the EcoRI enzyme. The YP-NIN phage genome, on the other hand, was sensitive to BamHI but resistant to EcoRI and HindIII enzymes. Furthermore, all phages had double-stranded DNA genomes ranging in size from 40 to 50 kbp. The phages found in this study would be ideal candidates for phage treatment because to their short latent period and greater burst size, and they may be used as a cocktail for combating yersiniosis.