XXII. BIOCHEMICKÝ ZJAZD - Jesseniova lekárska fakulta

Posters
8.
CHaraCTERIZATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES
INFECTING CronoBACTer STraINS
Hind Al Alami, Ľubomíra Tóthová, Michal Kajsík, Jana Gajdošová,
Hana Drahovská and Ján Turňa
Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University,
Mlynská dolina 1, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovensko
Cronobacter spp. (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is an opportunistic
pathogen, implicated in food-borne diseases especially in neonates and infants. Although
the microorganism is widely distributed in the environment, dried infant milk formula
has been implicated as the vehicle of transmission in many clinical manifestations. The
current threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed the interest in exploring
bacteriophages as biocontrol agents.
The aim of the our study was to isolate set of bacteriophages infecting Cronobacter
strains and to assess their suitability to be used as antimicrobial agents in food industry.
Six bacteriophages infecting Cronobacter were isolated from wastewater samples of
three Bratislava wastewater treatment plants (Petržalka, Vrakuňa and Devínska Nová
Ves) by propagating on indicator strains. We have determined the host specificity of
bacteriophages on the collection of 16 strains. We have observed, that bacteriophages
were able to infect 3-13 strains, three phages has specificity restricted to C. sakazakii
species, the other three bacteriophages posses the broader host range specificity; they
were able to inhibit growth of 11-13 strains of all Cronobacter species. By restriction
mapping we observed different profiles for each phage.
XXII. Biochemistry Congress, Martin
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