E-Posters-10192

10192_Putonti

Pdf Summary

This study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) from the urinary microbiome of women with and without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). The researchers sequenced genomes from previously isolated bacteria from urine samples of women enrolled in urinary microbiome studies. By analyzing these bacterial genomes, they identified latent phage species that had integrated their genomes into their host bacteria. They then induced these latent phages to reproduce and release active phages.<br /><br />From over 100 urinary bacterial genomes, the researchers detected multiple latent phage sequences per genome. They isolated nine active phages that were able to infect Escherichia coli. The researchers used transmission electron microscopy to assess the morphology of these phages and found that they were tailed phages. While these phages could infect standard laboratory strains of E. coli, their ability to infect urinary E. coli isolates varied, indicating specificity and diverse mechanisms of host infection.<br /><br />The study findings suggest that both latent and active phages are abundant in the female urinary microbiome. The discovery of phage species that selectively infect urinary bacteria and shape bacterial communities in the bladder could have implications for treatment. Phages could potentially be used as an alternative to antibiotics or as an additional treatment for urinary disorders.<br /><br />Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are abundant in the human microbiota. However, their role in the female urinary microbiome is largely unknown. This study provides insights into the presence and characteristics of bacteriophages in the female urinary microbiome and highlights their potential therapeutic applications.

Keywords

bacteriophages

urinary microbiome

urgency urinary incontinence

bacterial genomes

latent phage species

active phages

Escherichia coli

host infection mechanisms

female urinary microbiome

therapeutic applications