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Research Article
ScienceAsia 32 (2006): 083-091 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2006.32.83
Bacteriophage Isolated from Burkholderia
pseudomallei Causes Phenotypic Changes in
Burkholderia thailandensis
Ladawan Sariya,a,b* Nalinee Prempracha,a Poonsook Keelapanga and Nuanchan Chittasophona*
ABSTRACT: Burkhoderia pseudomallei, a causative agent of melioidosis, is a gram-negative bacillus that is
closely related to its avirulent counterpart, B. thailandensis. Previous reports suggested that ninety-two
percent of B. pseudomallei species carried prophages. In this study, 21 phages isolated from 64 isolates of B.
pseudomallei were able to lyse some strains of B. thailandensis and 3 phages converted B. thailandensis to
lysogens. By DNase and RNase treatment of the genomes, all these three phages,  C2, C13 and C32, were
DNA viruses. By nucleic acid type and morphology, C2 and C13 were grouped in the Myoviridae family
and C32 was in the Podoviridae family. The C32 phage described here appears to be the first member of the
Podoviridae family that was isolated from Burkholderia spp. To assess the phenotypic changes of B. thailandensis before and after infection with these three phages, the whole-cell protein profile, the resistance to normal
human serum (NHS) and the basic biochemical characters were examined and compared. Changes in protein
profiles were clearly observed in the T9C2 and T10C2 lysogens when compared with the phage-recipients.
In addition, while the T10 recipient was sensitive to serum, both lysogenic T10C2 and its phage-donor C2
grew well in the presence of 30% NHS. There is only one difference in biochemical activities based on the
API20NE kit. The phage-recipient T9 could use esculin as an energy source but T9C2 lysogen and the
phage-donor C2 was unable to hydrolyse esculin. The results here suggested that changes in phenotypic
characters could occur after B. thailandensis received the phage from B. pseudomallei.
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a Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
b Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand (present address).
* Corresponding author, E-mail: ladawansariya@yahoo.com,b and nchittas@mail.med.cmu.ac.tha
Received 22 Dec 2004,
Accepted 26 Sep 2005
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