Phage Milagro: a platform for engineering a broad host range virulent phage for .

infections are a significant concern in people with CF and other immunocompromising disorders, and are difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics due to their inherent drug resistance. Bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses, are now seen as a potential alternative therapy for these infections, but most of the naturally occurring phages are temperate and have narrow host ranges, which limit their utility as therapeutics. Here we describe the temperate phage Milagro and our efforts to engineer this phage into a potential therapeutic by expanding the phage host range and selecting for phage mutants that are strictly virulent.

First Report of Bacterial Leaf Scald of Plum Caused by in Texas.

is the etiological agent of Plum Leaf Scald (Greco et al. 2021). The disease was first reported in Argentina (Fernandez-Valiela et al.

Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Myophage Moby.

is a prevalent nosocomial pathogen with multidrug resistance. Here, we describe the complete genome of myophage Moby, which shares characteristics with phage T4 and is closely related to phage IME-SM1. Moby has a 159,365-bp genome with 271 predicted protein-coding genes and 24 predicted tRNAs.

Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas Phage Mendera.

is an emerging opportunistic human pathogen. In this report, we describe the isolation and genomic annotation of the -infecting bacteriophage Mendera. A myophage of 159,961 base pairs, Mendera is T4-like and related most closely to phage IME-SM1.

Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas Phage Pokken.

is a Gram-negative bacterium associated with multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections, a problem for immunocompromised patients and those with cystic fibrosis. Here, we present the new -infecting podophage Pokken. Its 76,239-bp genome, with 92 protein-coding genes and 5 tRNA genes predicted, is similar to that of phage N4.

Complete Genome Sequence of Siphophage Samson.

The genus includes many Gram-negative plant-associated bacteria. Here, we report a virulent siphophage called Samson. A siphophage isolated from sewage, Samson contains a 43,314-bp genome with 58 predicted genes.

Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Podophage Ponderosa.

is a Gram-negative bacterium that is emerging as a multidrug-resistant global opportunistic pathogen. Here, we describe the genome of the T7-like podophage Ponderosa, with 54 predicted protein-coding genes and a 493-bp terminal repeat.

Complete Genome Sequence of Phage Pagan.

The T7-like podophage Pagan infects sp. strain ATCC PTA-13101, which was isolated from rice. The 44-kbp Pagan genome contains direct terminal repeats and contains 59 genes, 27 of which have a predicted function.

Complete Genome Sequence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Myophage Milano.

C58 is a tumor-causing pathogen targeting plants and is ubiquitously found in soil. Here, the complete genome sequence of Milano, a myophage infecting C58, is presented. Milano encodes 127 proteins, of which 45 can be assigned a predicted function, and it is most similar to the flagellotropic phage 7-7-1.

A Broad-Host-Range Tailocin from Burkholderia cenocepacia.

The complex (Bcc) consists of 20 closely related Gram-negative bacterial species that are significant pathogens for persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). Some Bcc strains are highly transmissible and resistant to multiple antibiotics, making infection difficult to treat. A tailocin (phage tail-like bacteriocin), designated BceTMilo, with a broad host range against members of the Bcc, was identified in strain BC0425.

Transmission of phage by glassy-winged sharpshooters, a vector of .

subsp. () is the causal agent of Pierce's Disease (PD) of grapevines and is vectored by the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS, ). Previously we have reported the development of a bacteriophage (phage) based biocontrol system for PD, but no information on insect transmission of phages has been reported.

Control of Pierce's Disease by Phage.

Pierce's Disease (PD) of grapevines, caused by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa (Xf), is a limiting factor in the cultivation of grapevines in the US. There are presently no effective control methods to prevent or treat PD.

Characterization of novel virulent broad-host-range phages of Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas.

The xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is the causal agent of several plant diseases, most notably Pierce's disease of grape and citrus variegated chlorosis. We report the isolation and characterization of the first virulent phages for X. fastidiosa, siphophages Sano and Salvo and podophages Prado and Paz, with a host range that includes Xanthomonas spp.

Genomes and characterization of phages Bcep22 and BcepIL02, founders of a novel phage type in Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Within the Burkholderia cepacia complex, B. cenocepacia is the most common species associated with aggressive infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, causing disease that is often refractive to treatment by antibiotics. Phage therapy may be a potential alternative form of treatment for these infections.

Efficacy of bacteriophage therapy in a model of Burkholderia cenocepacia pulmonary infection.

The therapeutic potential of bacteriophages (phages) in a mouse model of acute Burkholderia cenocepacia pulmonary infection was assessed. Phage treatment was administered by either intranasal inhalation or intraperitoneal injection. Bacterial density, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were significantly reduced in lungs of mice treated with intraperitoneal phages (P < .

Fabrication and evaluation of a ratchet type dielectrophoretic device for particle analysis.

Dielectrophoresis is an electrokinetic phenomenon that utilizes an asymmetric electric field to separate analytes based on differences in their polarizabilities relative to that of the suspending medium. One dielectrophoretic device architecture that offers interesting possibilities for particle transport without the use of external flow is the ratchet geometry. This paper describes the fabrication and evaluation of a novel dielectrophoretic ratchet device using a series of fine particles as test probes.

Genomic and biological analysis of phage Xfas53 and related prophages of Xylella fastidiosa.

We report the plaque propagation and genomic analysis of Xfas53, a temperate phage of Xylella fastidiosa. Xfas53 was isolated from supernatants of X. fastidiosa strain 53 and forms plaques on the sequenced strain Temecula.

Two type IV secretion systems with different functions in Burkholderia cenocepacia K56-2.

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SS) perform two fundamental functions related to pathogenesis: the delivery of effector molecules to eukaryotic target cells, and genetic exchange. Two T4SSs have been identified in Burkholderia cenocepacia K56-2, a representative of the ET12 lineage of the B. cepacia complex (Bcc).

A type IV secretion system contributes to intracellular survival and replication of Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an important respiratory pathogen in persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). Recent studies indicate that B. cenocepacia survives within macrophages and airway epithelial cells in vitro by evading endosome-lysosome fusion.

Application of voxelwise analysis in the detection of regions of reduced fractional anisotropy in multiple sclerosis patients.

Purpose: To investigate the utility of voxelwise analysis in the detection of lesions in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of individual multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Materials And Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed on 10 normal controls and six patients with MS lesions. The fractional anisotropy (FA) maps derived from the diffusion-weighted images were then spatially normalized (via an affine transformation) into Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space, and the normalized FA map of each of the patients was compared voxelwise with the normalized FA maps of the group of normals in a one-sample t-test (P = 0.

Role of phages in the pathogenesis of Burkholderia, or 'Where are the toxin genes in Burkholderia phages?'.

Most bacteria of the genus Burkholderia are soil- and rhizosphere-associated, and rhizosphere associated, noted for their metabolic plasticity in the utilization of a wide range of organic compounds as carbon sources. Many Burkholderia species are also opportunistic human and plant pathogens, and the distinction between environmental, plant, and human pathogens is not always clear. Burkholderia phages are not uncommon and multiple cryptic prophages are identifiable in the sequenced Burkholderia genomes.

Dielectrophoretic sorting of cells, fine particles, and macromolecules in the microchip format.

A review of microchip-based dielectrophoretic separations is presented. Benefits of miniaturization and applications of these devices are discussed. Device geometries employed to date are described.

Divergence and mosaicism among virulent soil phages of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.

We have determined the genomic sequences of four virulent myophages, Bcep1, Bcep43, BcepB1A, and Bcep781, whose hosts are soil isolates of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. Despite temporal and spatial separations between initial isolations, three of the phages (Bcep1, Bcep43, and Bcep781, designated the Bcep781 group) exhibit 87% to 99% sequence identity to one another and most coding region differences are due to synonymous nucleotide substitutions, a hallmark of neutral genetic drift. Phage BcepB1A has a very different genome organization but is clearly a mosaic with respect to many of the genes of the Bcep781 group, as is a defective prophage element in Photorhabdus luminescens.

Harnessing dielectric forces for separations of cells, fine particles and macromolecules.

A review of conventional dielectrophoresis on a microchip platform is presented. The benefits of miniaturization, some device geometries used to accomplish on-chip separations, and applications of these devices are discussed.

Involvement of a plasmid-encoded type IV secretion system in the plant tissue watersoaking phenotype of Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Burkholderia cenocepacia strain K56-2, a representative of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, is part of the epidemic and clinically problematic ET12 lineage. The strain produced plant tissue watersoaking (ptw) on onion tissue, which is a plant disease-associated trait. Using plasposon mutagenesis, mutants in the ptw phenotype were generated.