Phage and Enterobacter cloacae

Enterobacter cloacae is an important nosocomial pathogen. With the emergence of carbapenem-resistant strains, the use of bacteriophages to eradicate and control these resistant strains has received much attention. With comprehensive knowledge about phage and Enterobacter cloacae, Creative Biolabs provides support for the development of therapeutic phage against Enterobacter cloacae.

Enterobacter cloacae

E. cloacae is a facultative anaerobic gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that can be found in diverse environments ranging from plants to soil to humans. Phytopathogenic strains of E. cloacae cause Enterobacter rot and bacterial wilt. As an opportunistic pathogenic flora parasitizing the human gastrointestinal tract, E. cloacae cause endocarditis, urinary tract infections, wound infections, meningitis, and sepsis in immunocompromised individuals. Severe infections can be life-threatening.

Drug Resistance of Enterobacter cloacae

E. cloacae self-encoded AmpC beta-lactamase makes it inherently resistant to certain types of antibiotics. Widely reported E. cloacae is usually resistant to β-lactams, penicillins, cephalosporins, monocyclic lactams, lincomycin, tetracyclines, quinolones, sulfonamides, and carbapenem-resistant strains of E. cloacae were identified. E. cloacae was also listed as the third leading microorganism causing nosocomial infections and the second leading carbapenem-resistant pathogen. The types of strains that are frequently used in phage-related research with well-characterized genomes are ATCC 23355, ATCC 13047, CEMTC 2064, and ATCC 49162.

Toxicity and Anti-Immune Mechanisms

E. cloacae possesses multiple mechanisms against other microorganisms and the host immune system, including the production of siderophores, bacteriocins, resistance proteins, type VI secretion systems, and biofilm generation. These mechanisms and bacterial products provide further adaptive advantages for E. cloacae in microbial competition and host infection, enabling them to survive and reproduce in diverse environments.

Phage for Enterobacter cloacae

To control the rise and spread of E. cloacae resistance specifically, bacteriophages have been proposed as alternatives and supplements to antibiotics. Phages currently being studied and characterized include EC151, vB_EclM_CIP9, vB_EcRAM-01, etc. Phage can specifically recognize and bind irreversibly to lipopolysaccharide or protein antigen components on the surface of E. cloacae. After binding the host bacterium, the depolymerase breaks down the polysaccharide structure on the bacterial surface and transfers its genetic material into E. cloacae. The phage genome will gradually take over the gene expression process of the host bacteria and complete the synthesis of progeny virions.

E. cloacae is a bacterium of great medical value, but the use of bacteriophages as an alternative/supplementary antibacterial agent for such bacterium still requires more in-depth and comprehensive research. As a leading company in the field of biotechnology, Creative Biolabs processes an excellent and advanced phage-related technology platform and provides strong support for the development of phage therapies against E. cloacae for our customers around the world. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.