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Title: Characterization of anti-Clostridium perfringens bacteriophages isolated on poultry farms in Central Russia

Author
item VOLOZHANTSEV, NIKOLAY - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item VEREVKIN, VLADIMIR - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item BANNOV, VASILY - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item SHULTCHEV, ALEXANDR - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item ZHILENKOV, EUGENY - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item SVETOCH, EDWARD - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item SIRAGUSA, GREGORY - AGTECH
item Seal, Bruce

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2008
Publication Date: 7/26/2008
Citation: Volozhantsev, N., Verevkin, V., Bannov, V., Shultchev, A., Zhilenkov, E., Svetoch, E., Siragusa, G., Seal, B.S. 2008. Characterization of anti-Clostridium perfringens bacteriophages isolated on poultry farms in Central Russia. Edinburgh International Phage Conference, Session 2-6, P. 43.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Clostridium perfringens is a main food-borne pathogen causing human diseases. Besides, these Gram-positive anaerobes are responsible for the development of avian necrotic enteritidis, the wide-spread disease in countries engaged in the poultry breeding. For minimization followed by complete exclusion of antibiotics, growth promoters, in the poultry industry, new scientific approaches to the development of tools for effective control of animal and human pathogens like C. perfringens are needed. The application of lytic bacteriophages and/or their lytic enzymes to control C. perfringens is a potential approach to control the pathogen on poultry farms, as well as at poultry-processing plants. We have made up a collection comprising 30 bacteriophages with lytic activities against C. perfringens. Sources of these phages were concentrated samples of feces, sewage and broiler intestinal materials from poultry farms of Central Russia. DNAs of the phages were treated with HindIII, EcoRI, EcoRV and BamHI. Based on results from the restriction analysis the phages were divided into 6 homologous groups. Groups comprising Cpv1- and Cpv4-like short-tail phages attributed to the family Podoviridae were numerous. It is quite possible that phages of these groups prevail in this geographic area, since they have been regularly isolated from samples from 4 poultry farms for 2 years. A correlation between a phage type and spectrum of lytic activity of the bacteriophages has been established. All phages are highly specific and are able to propagate on 1-5% of isolates (50 Russian and American strains of C.perfringens have been tested). But at higher values of infection multiplicity (higher than 100 pfu/cfu) they inhibit the growth of bacteria in broth and form negative zones on lawn surfaces in approximately 30% of cases. One of bacteriophages Cpv1 with genome of 20 kb has been partially sequenced. The endolysin-coding gene of this phage has been cloned in E.coli. Recombinant clones appeared lytic toward C.perfringens. However, the observed effect was inconsistent, and the lytic activity disappeared after two series of cultivation. We plan to add the collection, as well as to characterize available phages in detail, including carrying out phylogenic research.