Phages adapt to recognize an O-antigen polysaccharide site by mutating the "backup" tail protein ORF59, enabling reinfection of phage-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>.

ABSTRACT: Phages demonstrate remarkable promise as antimicrobial agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the emergence of phage-resistant strains poses challenges to their effective application. In this paper, we presented the isolation of a phage adaptive mutant that demonstrated enhanced and sustained antibacterial efficacy through the co-evolution of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) 111-2 and phage ZX1Δint in vitro. Our experiments revealed that phage ZX1Δint successfully completed the adsorption phase by binding to the host surface, specifically targeting the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) receptor via the primary receptor-binding protein (RBP) ORF60 and the auxiliary RBP ORF59. Upon exposure to phage predation, mutations in genes wbaP, wbaZ

SUBMITTER: Li P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11795761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature