Recombinant mycobacteriophages for delivery of nucleic acids of interest into mycobacteria

1. An isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage comprising a vector backbone into which (a) a heterologous mycobacteriophage promoter nucleic acid and (b) a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a protein of interest are integrated, and wherein (a) is upstream of (b) and operatively linked thereto, and wherein the vector backbone is derived from a mycobacteriophage TM4 and comprises a TM4 genomic sequence having a 5.5 kbp to 6.5 kbp deletion of non-essential DNA thereof, and wherein the recombinant mycobacteriophage is conditionally propagating.

2. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 wherein the heterologous mycobacteriophage promoter nucleic acid is a heterologous P Left lytic promoter of mycobacteriophage L5.

3. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the vector backbone does not comprise TM4 gene 49.

4. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the vector backbone derived from a mycobacteriophage TM4 does not comprise a portion having the sequence of residues 33,877 through 39,722 of the TM4 genome.

5. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the vector backbone comprises the nucleic acid sequence set forth in Genbank Accession No. JF937104 (SEQ ID NO:4); JF704106 (SEQ ID NO:5); JF704105 (SEQ ID NO:6); HM152764 (SEQ ID NO:7); or HM152767 (SEQ ID NO:8).

6. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the mycobacteriophage is a temperature-sensitive conditionally propagating mutant.

7. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant mycobacteriophage does not propagate in a mycobacteria at 37° C.

8. The isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant mycobacteriophage propagates in a mycobacteria at 30° C.

9. A method of detecting a mycobacterium in a sample comprising:

a) acting the sample with the isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 under conditions permitting the mycobacteriophage to infect a mycobacterium present in the sample and the protein of interest to be expressed in the mycobacterium; and

b) detecting the protein of interest in the mycobacterium in the sample, thereby detecting the mycobacterium in the sample.

10. A method of determining if a mycobacterium is susceptible to a candidate agent comprising:

a) contacting a sample comprising the mycobacterium with the isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 in (i) the absence of the candidate agent and (ii) in the presence of the candidate agent, under conditions permitting the mycobacteriophage to infect a mycobacterium present in the sample and the protein of interest to be expressed in the mycobacterium;

b) detecting the protein of interest in the mycobacterium in the sample in (i) and (ii); and

c) comparing the amount of the protein of interest detected in the presence of the candidate agent and the absence of the candidate agent,

wherein a decrease in amount of the protein of interest in the presence of the candidate agent compared to in the absence of the candidate agent indicates that the mycobacterium is susceptible to the candidate agent.

11. A method of identifying a candidate agent as effective in treating an infection caused by a strain of mycobacterium, the method comprising:

culturing a mycobacterium with the isolated recombinant mycobacteriophage of claim 1 in (a) the absence of the candidate agent under conditions permitting the mycobacteriophage to infect a mycobacterium present in the sample and the protein of interest to be expressed in the mycobacterium, and (b) the presence of the candidate agent under conditions permitting the mycobacteriophage to infect a mycobacterium present in the sample and the protein of interest to be expressed in the mycobacterium, and

detecting the protein of interest in the mycobacterium in the sample in (a) and in (b), and comparing the amount of the protein of interest detected in the presence of the candidate agent and the absence of the candidate agent,

wherein a decrease in the amount of the protein of interest in the presence of the candidate agent compared to in the absence of the candidate agent indicates the agent as effective to treat an infection caused by the strain of mycobacterium.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the candidate agent is an antibiotic.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mycobacteria is a Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

14. A kit for the detecting of a mycobacterium in a sample comprising the mycobacteriophage of claim 1 , packaging therefor and written instructions for use thereof.