Figures
- FIGURE 1
Model for evaluation of phage nebulisation and delivery. a) Demonstration and schematic representation of phage nebulisation. Filter pads were placed at the output of the nebuliser to allow phage capture after each run of nebulisation. b) Anterior and lateral views of the 3D face and respiratory airways model. c) Demonstration and schematic representation of phage inhalation. Phages were nebulised and delivered by a face mask to the face and respiratory tract model, connected to a breathing simulator. Phages were captured by filter pads placed at the distal orifice of the airways model.
- FIGURE 2
Titre reduction of phages following nebulisation and inhalation to the airways model. For each phage, the initial phage titre inserted to the nebuliser, corrected according to the filter reduction fraction (Corrected Input), is compared to the phage titres retrieved from filters placed at the output of the nebuliser (Nebulisation) and at the tracheal level of the respiratory tract model (Inhalation). Three separate runs were made for each phage in every condition. Asterisks represent significant difference (p<0.05). PFU: plaque-forming units.
- FIGURE 3
Phage characterisation and its effect on inhalation fitness. Correlation plots representing phage inhalation efficacy, defined as the proportion between viable phages reaching the tracheal level and the corrected initial phage loads, according to a) tail length, b) capsid diameter, c) total phage length and d) phage genome size. e) Transmission electron microscopy images of the phages used in the study. Scale bar: 200 nm.
Tables
- TABLE 1
Characteristics of the phages used in the study
Phage Host Taxonomy Genome size bp Genome structure GenBank accession BCSR5 Burkholderia cepacia BCC378 Myoviridae 227 351 Circular MW460245.1 SAOMS1 Staphylococcus aureus SAR1 Herelleviridae 140 135 Circular MW460250.1 BCSR129 B. cepacia BCC197 Myoviridae 66 147 Circular MW460247.1 PASA16 Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 Myoviridae 66 127 Circular MT933737.1c Itty13 P. aeruginosa PAR1 Podoviridae 61 818 Linear MW460249.1 Maco2 Mycobacterium abscessus c107 Siphoviridae 48 239 Circular MW460248.1 Maco7 M. abscessusx c107 Siphoviridae 47 836 Linear MZ152914 SeAlphi Staphylococcus epidermidis SE52 Podoviridae 18 368 Circular MZ152915 - TABLE 2
Filter reduction fraction (Fr) of each phage
Phage Fr BCSR5 0.178 SAOMS1 0.222 BCSR129 0.132 PASA16 0.085 Itty13 0.053 Maco2 0.036 Maco7 0.015 SeAlphi 0.58
