| abstract |
The present invention provides methods and compositions for reducing the prevalence of conjugative plasmids encoding antibiotic resistance and / or virulence factors in microbial colonies containing infectious agents. A phage, such as Tectivirus, that binds to or enters a bacterial host cell having a conjugative plasmid through interaction with a receptor protein encoded by the nucleic acid component of the conjugative plasmid. The colony is brought into contact. When the phage contacts and inserts its genome into the bacterial host cell, the host cell expresses the appropriate receptor, and the phage that binds to the receptor contains the host bacterial cell and the associated plasmid contained therein. Kill or reduce replication of the host bacterial cell and the associated plasmid contained therein. [Selection figure] None |