Genomic characterization and comparative analysis of a new Tequatrovirus phage infecting Escherichia coli ST131
OBJECTIVE: The global rise of antimicrobial resistance with the spread of pathogenic multidrug-resistant clones such as Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 131 represents a major challenge for public health, renewing interest in bacteriophages as therapeutical agents. RESULTS: We report the isolation and characterization of a new bacteriophage, Escherichia phage vB_EcoM-V1EC45, which was isolated from wastewater and was able to infect a clinical E. coli ST131 strain. Its genome is a 170,364 bp double-stranded DNA molecule annotated with 281 coding sequences and 9 tRNAs, including multiple genes involved in antidefense systems. V1EC45 is predicted to harbour a virulent lifestyle. Comparative genomics positioned V1EC45 within the Tequatrovirus genus, and the Tsx outer membrane bacterial protein is predicted to be used as the receptor-binding protein. This work highlights the value of using genomic, structural, and evolutionary analyses to support the directed development of targeted bacteriophage therapeutics.
Authors
- Mathieu Médina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2771-5206)
- Jacques Dainat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6629-0173)
- Juliette Hayer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4899-9637)
- Mélanie Bonhomme
- Floriane Laumay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8153-3310)
- Laurent Dortet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6596-7384)
- Rémy Froissart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8234-1308)
- Elsa Beurrier
- Frédéric Laurent (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7563-9800)
- Camille Kolenda
- Richard Bonnet
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle (FR)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- Hospices Civils de Lyon (FR)
- University of Clermont Auvergne (FR)
- Microbe, Intestine, Inflammation and Host Susceptibility (FR)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- CNR de la Résistance aux Antibiotiques (FR)
- Clermont Université (FR)
- Bicêtre Hospital (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Research Notes
- Published
- 2026-05-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-026-07849-9
- Primary Topic
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00