The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 47, Issue 2 123-128, Copyright © 1998 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Characterisation of 16 Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli typing bacteriophages

A. D. Sails, D. R. Wareing, F. J. Bolton, A. J. Fox and A. Curry
Public Health Laboratory, Royal Preston Hospital.

Taxonomic classification of bacteriophages specific for Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli has not been reported previously. A set of 16 virulent phages, distinguishable by their lytic spectra, has been used extensively for epidemiological typing of C. jejuni and C. coli at Preston Public Health Laboratory. These phages were investigated by electron microscopy, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and restriction endonuclease analysis. All phages had icosahedral heads and long contractile tails. Accordingly, they were classified as members of the Myoviridae family. These phages could be subdivided into three groups according to genome size and head diameter: group I, two phages with head diameters of 140.6 and 143.8 nm and genome sizes of 320 kb; group II, five phages with average head diameters of 99 nm and average genome sizes of 184 kb; and group III, nine phages with average head sizes of 100 nm and average genome sizes of 138 kb. Phages NCTC12676 and NCTC12677 of group I had unusually large genomes of c. 320 kb which are two of the largest phage genomes to be described. Restriction endonuclease analysis demonstrated that DNA from the 16 phages was refractory to digestion by a number of restriction enzymes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Coward, A. J. Grant, C. Swift, J. Philp, R. Towler, M. Heydarian, J. A. Frost, and D. J. Maskell Phase-Variable Surface Structures Are Required for Infection of Campylobacter jejuni by Bacteriophages. Appl. Envir. Microbiol., July 1, 2006; 72(7): 4638 - 4647. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Loc Carrillo, R. J. Atterbury, A. El-Shibiny, P. L. Connerton, E. Dillon, A. Scott, and I. F. Connerton Bacteriophage Therapy To Reduce Campylobacter jejuni Colonization of Broiler Chickens Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2005; 71(11): 6554 - 6563. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. J. Atterbury, E. Dillon, C. Swift, P. L. Connerton, J. A. Frost, C. E. R. Dodd, C. E. D. Rees, and I. F. Connerton Correlation of Campylobacter Bacteriophage with Reduced Presence of Hosts in Broiler Chicken Ceca Appl. Envir. Microbiol., August 1, 2005; 71(8): 4885 - 4887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. El-Shibiny, P. L. Connerton, and I. F. Connerton Enumeration and Diversity of Campylobacters and Bacteriophages Isolated during the Rearing Cycles of Free-Range and Organic Chickens Appl. Envir. Microbiol., March 1, 2005; 71(3): 1259 - 1266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. L. Connerton, C. M. Loc Carrillo, C. Swift, E. Dillon, A. Scott, C. E. D. Rees, C. E. R. Dodd, J. Frost, and I. F. Connerton Longitudinal Study of Campylobacter jejuni Bacteriophages and Their Hosts from Broiler Chickens Appl. Envir. Microbiol., July 1, 2004; 70(7): 3877 - 3883. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. J. Atterbury, P. L. Connerton, C. E. R. Dodd, C. E. D. Rees, and I. F. Connerton Isolation and Characterization of Campylobacter Bacteriophages from Retail Poultry Appl. Envir. Microbiol., August 1, 2003; 69(8): 4511 - 4518. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Barrangou, S.-S. Yoon, F. Breidt Jr., H. P. Fleming, and T. R. Klaenhammer Characterization of Six Leuconostoc fallax Bacteriophages Isolated from an Industrial Sauerkraut Fermentation Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2002; 68(11): 5452 - 5458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]