Paramagnetic particles for immobilization of bacteriophage λ

Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, are viruses of bacteria, which are estimated to be the most widely distributed and diverse entities in the biosphere. From initial research defining the nature of viruses, trough deciphering the fundamental principles of life, to the development of the molecular biology science, phages have been suitable model organisms [1]. Thus, related to their nature, they can serve as the potential antibacterial agents. Recently, the idea of phage therapy which is the use of bacteriophages for both the prophylaxis and the treatment of bacterial infections, has gained special significance in view of a dramatic rise in the prevalence of highly antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains concurrently by the rescission of the pharmaceutical industry from research of new antibiotics. For the development of new antibiotics it is possible to use bacteriophage-encoded lysis-inducing proteins, either as recombinant proteins or as lead structures. Two additional potential medical applications of phages are the treatment of viral infections and their use as immunizing agents in diagnosis and monitoring of patients with immunodeficiences. Due to the immunomodulatory activity of bacteriophages, endogenous phages can have a possible role in maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system [2]. Phage research in more recent years has revealed not only their abundance and diversity of form, but also their influence on the evolution of microbial populations, and their possible applications [3]. Bacteriophages play a fundamental role in this new post-genomic era of phage biology, from information emerging from genomics and metagenomics approaches through to applications in therapy [4], biotechnology and nanomedicine [5]. Bacteriophage λ is a coliphage (infects Escherichia coli) from Siphoviridae family, which belongs to tempered phages. The DNA molecule is packaged in the phage’s head containing single stranded complementary ends (cos sites) that hybridize shortly after injection into the host. In the cell the phage λ can enter the lytic or lysogenic pathway [6]. During lysogenic cycle, 100 new virions are created from a single virion [6]. The viral capsid is a special type of often studied protein nanocarriers [7]. Bacteriophage λ could be used as such nanocarrier; the capsid has the icosahedral form with a diameter of 50-60 nm. Its genome contains approximately 50 genes in a linear double-stranded the DNA of 48 502 bp [8]. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are novel material with exceptional attributes, which is currently more and more employed in various scientific areas, such as analytical chemistry to improve the analytical performance [9], biosensors development to enhance the specifity and sensitivity [10], and others. Due to possibility of surface modification, SPIONs can provide binding site towards broad spectrum of analytes, and thus serve for its immobilization, isolation of target delivery. Therefore, the main goal of this study is synthesis and characterization of modified SPIONs for immobilization of bacteriophage λ with aim to improve the operation possibilities for further applications in antimicrobial treatment or cytostatic encapsulation.

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