Isolation and characterization of novel Klebsiella phages from Benin and their antibiofilm activities on multidrug resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains
8 affiliations
- 1Bacteriology Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Guinée
- 2Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research, Division of Microbiology and Infection, University of Leicester
- 3Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances, Research Laboratory in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi
- 4Research Center for Global Health Action on Climate Change, Gender Equity, and Emerging Diseases
- 5Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University
- 6Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- 7Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Abomey-Calavi
- 8Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Abbottabad Campus
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae represents a growing clinical threat, particularly where multidrug resistance limits treatment options. This study aims to characterize Klebsiella phages isolated in Benin and evaluate their efficacy in reducing bacterial cell growth, biofilm inhibition and biofilm disruption. To achieve this objective, we isolated Klebsiella phages by enriching samples of hospital effluent, pig droppings, and stool, using clinical multidrug resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains as hosts. These phages were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, whole-genome sequencing, and biological assays. Then, we evaluated their antibiofilm activity and stability under harsh conditions (pH and temperature) in vitro . So, we report the isolation and characterization of three novel lytic phages from Benin (Kp1Bj_HH11_M23, Kp2Bj_LN294_M23, and Kp10Bj_LN54_14). These Myoviruses, belonging to the genera Marfavirus and Jiaodavirus , display broad host range activity against multidrug resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains with various capsular serotypes including KL114, KL53, KL8, KL62, KL64, KL124, KL102, KL57, KL39, KL48, KL17, KL20, KL2, KL30, KL51, KL105, KL146, KL28, KL122, KL38, KL3, and KL163. Genomic analysis confirmed the absence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. The phages exhibit rapid adsorption, short latency periods (5–10 min), and high burst sizes (119–2208 PFU/cell). All three phages have significantly biofilm disruption effect in vitro (Kp1Bj_HH11_M23, biofilm disruption rate of 98.46 %, p -value = 0.0170; Kp2Bj_LN294_M23, biofilm disruption rate of 65.56%, p -value < 0.0001; Kp10Bj_LN54_14, biofilm disruption rate of 99.96%, p -value = 0.003). Their stability across a wide range of temperatures and pH further supports their potential for therapeutic development. Together, these data highlight the value of locally sourced phages as candidates for tackling region-specific antimicrobial resistance challenges.
Related
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BibTeX
@article{agbankpe2026isolation,
title = {{Isolation and characterization of novel Klebsiella phages from Benin and their antibiofilm activities on multidrug resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains}},
author = {Alidehou Jerrold Agbankpe and Kafayath Fabiyi and Yaovi M. Gildas Hounmanou and Gracia Ruth Nougbologni and Roubaya Balarabe and Slawomir Michniewski and Jules Beau-Gard Hougbenou and Esther Deguenon and Victorien Dougnon and Honoré Bankolé and Lamine Baba-Moussa and Rashid Nazir and Martha R. J. Clokie},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948708},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948708/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Isolation and characterization of novel Klebsiella phages from Benin and their antibiofilm activities on multidrug resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains
AU - Alidehou Jerrold Agbankpe
AU - Kafayath Fabiyi
AU - Yaovi M. Gildas Hounmanou
AU - Gracia Ruth Nougbologni
AU - Roubaya Balarabe
AU - Slawomir Michniewski
AU - Jules Beau-Gard Hougbenou
AU - Esther Deguenon
AU - Victorien Dougnon
AU - Honoré Bankolé
AU - Lamine Baba-Moussa
AU - Rashid Nazir
AU - Martha R. J. Clokie
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948708
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948708/full
AB - Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae represents a growing clinical threat, particularly where multidrug resistance limits treatment options. This study aims to characterize Klebsiella phages isolated in Benin and evaluate their efficacy in reducing bacterial cell growth, biofilm inhibition and biofilm disruption. To achieve this objective, we isolated Klebsiella phages by enriching samples of hospital effluent, pig droppings, and stool, using clinical multidrug resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains as hosts. These phages were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, whole-genome sequencing, and biological assays. Then, we evaluated their antibiofilm activity and stability under harsh conditions (pH and temperature) in vitro . So, we report the isolation and characterization of three novel lytic phages from Benin (Kp1Bj_HH11_M23, Kp2Bj_LN294_M23, and Kp10Bj_LN54_14). These Myoviruses, belonging to the genera Marfavirus and Jiaodavirus , display broad host range activity against multidrug resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains with various capsular serotypes including KL114, KL53, KL8, KL62, KL64, KL124, KL102, KL57, KL39, KL48, KL17, KL20, KL2, KL30, KL51, KL105, KL146, KL28, KL122, KL38, KL3, and KL163. Genomic analysis confirmed the absence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. The phages exhibit rapid adsorption, short latency periods (5–10 min), and high burst sizes (119–2208 PFU/cell). All three phages have significantly biofilm disruption effect in vitro (Kp1Bj_HH11_M23, biofilm disruption rate of 98.46 %, p -value = 0.0170; Kp2Bj_LN294_M23, biofilm disruption rate of 65.56%, p -value < 0.0001; Kp10Bj_LN54_14, biofilm disruption rate of 99.96%, p -value = 0.003). Their stability across a wide range of temperatures and pH further supports their potential for therapeutic development. Together, these data highlight the value of locally sourced phages as candidates for tackling region-specific antimicrobial resistance challenges.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -