Analysis of Temporal Gene Expression of Mycobacteriophage XianYue

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance has become a pertinent issue in the 21st century. The over-prescription and frequent use of antibiotics have allowed bacteria to escape the effects of antibiotic therapy. An alternative treatment for bacterial infection is bacteriophage (phage) therapy. Phage are viruses that infect and hijack bacterial hosts, ultimately killing them. Mycobacteriophage XianYue was isolated from a soil sample on the Dahlonega campus of the University of North Georgia. XianYue is a Cluster A, temperate bacteriophage that infects Mycobacterium smegmatis (smeg). XianYue’s gene expression was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at different time points in its infection of smeg. Recent results showed that XianYue transcribed major lytic and structural genes early in its invasion of smeg. These data indicated the rapid degradation of smeg’s chromosome which signified XianYue’s swift, demolitive effects inflicted on smeg. Moreover, continued genetic analyses could permit greater insight into the infection dynamics of mycobacteriophages that are lethal to Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium leprae. Understanding these mechanisms will allow for genetic customization of phage therapy as well as elucidate possible means for phage delivery. Such customization and understanding of phage treatment have the potential to increase the survival outcomes of patients with antibiotic-resistant infections.