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Adamczyk-Popławska M, Golec P, Piekarowicz A, Kwiatek A. The potential for bacteriophages and prophage elements in fighting and preventing the gonorrhea. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37897236 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2274849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most numerous entities on earth and are found everywhere their bacterial hosts live. As natural bacteria killers, phages are extensively investigated as a potential cure for bacterial infections. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) is the etiologic agent of a sexually transmitted disease: gonorrhea. The rapid increase of resistance of N. gonorrhoeae to antibiotics urges scientists to look for alternative treatments to combat gonococcal infections. Phage therapy has not been tested as an anti-gonococcal therapy so far. To date, no lytic phage has been discovered against N. gonorrhoeae. Nevertheless, gonococcal genomes contain both dsDNA and ssDNA prophages, and viral particle induction has been documented. In this review, we consider literature data about the attempts of hunting for a bacteriophage specific for gonococci - the gonophage. We also discuss the potential application of prophage elements in the fight against N. gonorrhoeae. Temperate phages may be useful in preventing and treating gonorrhea as a scaffold for anti-gonococcal vaccine development and as a source of lytic enzymes with anti-gonococcal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Adamczyk-Popławska
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Golec
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Piekarowicz
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kwiatek
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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García-Cruz JC, Huelgas-Méndez D, Jiménez-Zúñiga JS, Rebollar-Juárez X, Hernández-Garnica M, Fernández-Presas AM, Husain FM, Alenazy R, Alqasmi M, Albalawi T, Alam P, García-Contreras R. Myriad applications of bacteriophages beyond phage therapy. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15272. [PMID: 37101788 PMCID: PMC10124553 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity on the planet, having pivotal roles in bacterial ecology, animal and plant health, and in the biogeochemical cycles. Although, in principle, phages are simple entities that replicate at the expense of their bacterial hosts, due the importance of bacteria in all aspects of nature, they have the potential to influence and modify diverse processes, either in subtle or profound ways. Traditionally, the main application of bacteriophages is phage therapy, which is their utilization to combat and help to clear bacterial infections, from enteric diseases, to skin infections, chronic infections, sepsis, etc. Nevertheless, phages can also be potentially used for several other tasks, including food preservation, disinfection of surfaces, treatment of several dysbioses, and modulation of microbiomes. Phages may also be used as tools for the treatment of non-bacterial infections and pest control in agriculture; moreover, they can be used to decrease bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance and even to combat global warming. In this review manuscript we discuss these possible applications and promote their implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos García-Cruz
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Huelgas-Méndez
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jorge Santiago Jiménez-Zúñiga
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Xareni Rebollar-Juárez
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mariel Hernández-Garnica
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ana María Fernández-Presas
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fohad Mabood Husain
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rawaf Alenazy
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences-Shaqra, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alqasmi
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences-Shaqra, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamer Albalawi
- Department of Biology, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pravej Alam
- Department of Biology, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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