This study reports the isolation and characterization of a novel bacteriophage, KG853,
specifically targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Morphological analysis using
transmission electron microscopy revealed that bacteriophage KG853 belongs to the
Bruynoghevirus genus. The phage demonstrated favorable characteristics for potential
therapeutic applications, including a short latent period of 30 minutes and a large burst
size of 136 plaque-forming units (PFU) per cell. KG853 exhibited stability across various
temperatures and pH values, indicating its robustness under various environmental
conditions. Genomic analysis showed that KG853 possesses a circular DNA genome of
45,390 base pairs with a GC content of 52.2%. No lysogenic or virulence genes were
detected among the 84 open reading frames annotated in the genome, suggesting its
safety for potential therapeutic use. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that phage KG853 is
closely related to phage PaP3. Notably, KG853 demonstrated the ability to inhibit the
formation of 4-hour biofilms by P. aeruginosa, a critical virulence factor in many
infections. Host range analysis showed that KG853 is specific to P. aeruginosa, an
important characteristic for targeted therapy. These findings suggest that bacteriophage
KG853 represents a promising candidate for combating drug-resistant P. aeruginosa
infections. Its specific host range, robust physical characteristics, lack of harmful genes,
and anti-biofilm activity make it a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics.
Further research is warranted to explore its efficacy in in vivo models and potential
clinical applications.