Phage and Yersinia pestis

Creative Biolabs is an innovative biotechnology company focused on phage research. After decades of accumulation, we have completed many successful cases in the field of phage. We are willing to share background and knowledge about phage, and here we provide a brief introduction to phage and Yersinia pestis.

Introduction to Y. Pestis

Plague is defined as a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by Y. pestis, a gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming cocci. Additionally, Y. pestis is a facultative anaerobic organism that can be transmitted by fleas that feed on infected rodents. Y. pestis infection can lead to death if left untreated. It is worth noting that modern antibiotics are an effective strategy for the treatment of the plague. Currently, infections usually occur in summer because the chance of being bitten by fleas is higher in warmer weather. Importantly, the plague remains a serious threat to global public health. Thus, timely and reliable detection of this pathogen is urgent and necessary. Phages are an attractive method for Y. pestis detection and plague diagnosis.

Fig.1 Different routes of interhuman transmission and human infection from plague sources. (Barbieri, 2020)

Phage and Y. Pestis

In recent years, phages have gradually emerged as an effective means of identifying their target bacteria. Phages have many desirable properties, such as natural specificity and ease of use, that make them particularly suitable as bacterial detectors. Evidence reveals that a variety of phages are of great significance for plague diagnosis. Y. pestis phages are bacterial viruses that are widely distributed in the origin of the plague. Some phages have a very broad strain range against Y. pestis while others show species-specificity against Y. pestis. The interaction between bacteriophage and Y. pestis plays a crucial role in maintaining the microbial ecology of Y. pestis and promoting the genetic evolution of host bacteria.

Y. Pestis Phage Isolation and Propagation

First, the specific mouse gut contents need to be obtained. Second, the host strains are grown to logarithmic growth phase under appropriate conditions and then co-culture with mouse intestinal contents in the medium. Phage suspensions are obtained by filtration through filters. Phages are detected and purified by serial dilution method and double-layer agar plate method. Briefly, a plaque with a clear edge is picked out, add to the prepared host bacterial solution for cultivation, and a phage suspension is obtained for purification. After the gradient dilution of the suspension, the plaques are separated according to the above-mentioned double-layer agar plate method, and the purified phage suspension is obtained by repeating it several times. Phage solutions are amplified and stored in suitable conditions.

As a leader in phage research, Creative Biolabs has been committed to providing a one-stop solution for phage and Y. pestis research. If you have any difficulties with the phage projects, please contact us in time for professional advice.

Reference:

1. Barbieri, R.; et al. Yersinia pestis: the natural history of plague. Clinical microbiology reviews. 2020, 34(1): e00044-19.