Use of bacteriophage-derived lysins in combating multi-drug resistant pathogens that cause bovine respiratory disease

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most important disease of feedlot cattle, which remains the leading cause of disease-induced economic loss in the Canadian cattle industries. BRD is induced by bacterial pathogens including the Gram-negative (G-) bacteria Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni. Even with current prevention and control measures targeting associated pathogens, the clinical impact of BRD continues and the resulted morbidity and mortality are still high. The mass medication with antimicrobial is raising concerns about emergence of multi-drug resistence. Moreover, during the last decades, no new antibiotics classes have been approved for G- infections. Novel methods targeting BRD-related pathogens are urgently needed.
Bacteriophages (phages) are the most abundant entities on the planet, bacteriophage-derived lysins/endolysins (LYS) are peptidoglycan hydrolases produced by phages and degrade the peptidoglycan at the last step of lytic cycle, resulting in cell lysis and release of progeny phages. But LYS has been widely developed against G+ bacteria but not G- bacteria due to the reaction nature of the enzyme. The proposed project aims to engineer LYS to develop a new class of antimicrobial agent against BRD-related G- pathogens with rapid action, relatively high specificity, non-toxicity and low probability of resistance development.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dongyan Niu

Student:

Partner:

Beef Cattle Research Council;Feedlot Health Management Services

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Calgary

Program: