Bacteriophages of the lower urinary tract

Abstract

The discovery of bacteria in the female urinary bladder has fundamentally changed current dogma regarding the urinary tract and related urinary disorders. While prior research has characterized many of the bacterial components of the female urinary tract, the viral fraction of this community is largely unknown. Viruses within the human microbiota far outnumber bacterial cells, with the most abundant viruses being those that infect bacteria (bacteriophages). Similar to observations within the microbial communities (microbiota) of the gut and oral cavity, preliminary surveys of the urinary tract and bladder microbiota indicate a rich diversity of uncharacterized bacteriophage (phage) species. Phages are vital members of microbiota, playing critical roles in shaping bacterial metabolism and community structure. Here, we review the current knowledge of phages within the urinary tract and their possible contribution to urinary tract health. Furthermore, as the natural predators of bacteria, phages have garnered renewed interest in their use as antimicrobial agents. Both historical and recent applications of phage therapy for lower urinary tract infections and other disorders are discussed.

Completed Genomic Sequence ofBacillus thuringiensisHER1410 Reveals aCry-Containing Chromosome, Two Megaplasmids, and an Integrative Plasmidial Prophage

“…The whole sequence of pLUSID3, as well as the annotated terminase and major capsid protein, were used as queries for BLASTn and BLASTp respectively against tailed phages NCBI database (taxid:28883). Results yielded similarity of pLUSID3 with phage Wrath (40% coverage, 83.63% identity) a Bacillus siphovirus found in the human bladder (Garretto et al, 2019). These results suggest that pLUSID3 is a circular plasmidial prophage, not previously reported, showing partial similarity to characterized B. cereus prophages.…”

Introducing Lu-1, a Novel Lactobacillus jensenii Phage Abundant in the Urogenital Tract

“…for other areas of the human body, e.g. the gut [59], no such community has yet to be identified within the urogenital tract as relatively few virome studies have been conducted [35,60]. Analysis of the CRISPR spacer arrays within the 11 urinary L. jensenii strains found that the Lv-1 and Lu-1 phages have been repeatedly infecting this species.…”

“…It is important to note, however, that in contrast to other areas of the human body, the phage communities within the urogenital tract are understudied. To date, very few viral metagenome studies have been conducted for the urinary tract, and we have only begun cataloging the phages present within this niche (see recent review [35]). Early evidence suggests that phages replicate within the urogenital tract microbiota mainly through the lysogenic life cycle-the phage's genome (prophage) is integrated within the genome of their bacterial host and passed to subsequent generations.…”

Bacteriophages: a Panacea in Neuro-Urology?

“…First successful examples of bacteriophage therapy in urology have been published. A considerable reduction in biofilm formation was found after "coating" indwelling catheters with bacteriophages specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis [7]. Khawaldeh et al [8] reported success with adjunctive bacteriophage therapy for refractory P. aeruginosa UTI in a patient with repeated failure of antibiotics.…”