"This phage proved to be lytic in M. ulcerans species which originated from four different continents. M. ulcerans shows genetic heterogeneity and variable phenotypic characteristics among strains of different geographic origins (Portaels et al., 1996)."
" Additionally, phage therapy could be considered for M. ulcerans infections. In Buruli ulcer, mycobacteria are typically found extracellularly, where they might be immediately accessible by lytic phages."
"Although mycolactone is a major component of the cell surface of M. ulcerans, it does not seem to be involved in the binding of phages or the injection of phage DNA, since the avirulent mycolactone-negative mutant 1615M showed the same host range as the wild-type strain."
" Interestingly, none of the tested phages formed plaques on two strains of M. marinum. In the case of TM4 and D29 at least, this was most likely due to an intracellular inhibition of phage replication, rather than a receptor–receptor binding protein mismatch, since shuttle phasmids based on these two phages are able to transfect M. marinum (Rybniker et al., 2003)."
"Host range in mycobacteria other than M. ulcerans and M. marinum
Except for Bxz2, none of the recently isolated phages formed plaques on M. tuberculosis or M. bovis BCG, showing that phages isolated in the fast-growing M. smegmatis
are often confined to this mycobacterium or other fast-growing species.
It is likely that environmental samples, for example from compost, may
contain additional phages, and the use of slow-growing species such as M. bovis BCG should be considered when searching for wild-type phages with a broader or different host spectrum."
Questions
All these phages grow on Mycobacterium ulcerans and on Mycobacterium smegmatis but do not grow on Mycobacterium marinum.
-The question is why?
- Have all these phages the same receptor for all mycobacteria host range or they have for each mycobacterium species a different receptor?
-Is there an intracellular inhibition of phage replication on M.marinum?
-Is there an intracellular inhibition of phage replication on M.marinum?
