Catherine SCHOULER

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Biocontrol of avian colibacillosis by phages

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Summary of the presentation :

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ISP, INRA, Université de Tours, UMR 1282, 37380, Nouzilly, France

Avian colibacillosis, induced by specific Escherichia coli strains, is the major bacterial disease in poultry and is mainly treated by antibiotics. Increasing resistance to different antibiotic classes and restrictions on the use of antibiotics by the European Union led to the search for antibiotics alternative such as bacteriophage therapy. We have isolated and characterized various coliphages that are promising biocontrol agent. Among those phages, four are highly related to phAPEC8, a phage that had been isolated in Belgium.  Indeed, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) created one new genus named Phapecoctavirus. Phages belonging to this genus were found in Microgen ColiProteus phage preparation, a Russian phage cocktail used to treat E. coli/Proteus infection highlighting their therapeutic potential. Within a European project, eight phage combinations that were able to inhibit in vitro the growth of an avian pathogenic E. coli strain were defined.  In each of these combinations, phage ESCO5, a phAPEC8 related, was present. We thus tested in a chicken embryo lethality assay the therapeutic potential of these phage combinations. We observed that two combinations allowed 90 to 100% of chicken embryo to survive to an infection by an avian pathogenic strain. This result strengthens the effective potential of phages to control avian colibacillosis.

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Educational background :

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2009: HDR (habilitation), University François Rabelais, Tours, France

1992: Ph. D., Microbiology, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse France

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Professional background :

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I was recruited in 1992 at INRA (National Institute for Agronomical research) in Jouy en Josas (France) in Dusko Erlich’s lab. I have worked with lactococcal phages determining the first prolate-headed phage genome sequence. I identified and characterized lactococcal type I restriction systems. Since 1998, I am working at INRA Val de Loire centre (France) in the research unit “Infectiology and Public Health. Since 2012, I am leading the team Pathogenesis of avian colibacillosis within this research unit. I’m also the deputy head of the research unit. I focus my research in the deciphering of the pathogenesis on avian colibacillosis in order to control this major disease. Indeed, I evaluate the efficacy of phage therapy.