In vitro activity against Staphylococcus aureus of a novel antimicrobial agent, PRF-119, a recombinant chimeric bacteriophage endolysin.

Antistaphylococcal activity of the novel chimeric endolysin PRF-119 was evaluated with the microdilution method. The MIC(50) and MIC(90) of 398 methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates were 0.098 μg/ml and 0.391 μg/ml, respectively (range, 0.024 to 0.780 μg/ml). Both the MIC(50) and MIC(90) values of 776 methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates were 0.391 μg/ml (range, 0.024 to 1.563 μg/ml). All 192 clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci exhibited MIC values of >50 μg/ml. In conclusion, PRF-119 exhibited very good activity specifically against S. aureus.