Revisiting phage tail spike architecture: evidence for undetected receptor-binding proteins in <i>Caudoviricetes</i> with non-contractile tails.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacterial cells, have garnered renewed interest as potential therapeutic agents due to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Effective application of bacteriophages requires a comprehensive understanding of their structure and mechanisms of action. Recent advances in structural biology techniques, such as cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET), along with significant progress in genome sequencing and bioinformatics, have greatly enhanced our knowledge of bacteriophage biology. However, these techniques remain insufficient in some cases to fully resolve the structure and function of phage tail spikes and tail fibers.

Methods

This study investigates the receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) o

SUBMITTER: Matusiak R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12309495 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature