Chemiluminescent probes allow for the rapid identification of colibactin-producing bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The pks (or clb) gene cluster, which produces the genotoxic natural product colibactin, is encoded by human gut Enterobacteriaceae, including many commensal strains of E. coli. Colibactin crosslinks DNA and is implicated in colorectal cancer development, highlighting the importance of identifying colibactin-producing gut bacteria within biological samples. In this study, we develop phenoxy-dioxetane chemiluminescent probes that selectively react with a critical colibactin biosynthetic enzyme, the serine peptidase ClbP. We show that these chemiluminescent probes have superior sensitivity, speed, and detection capabilities compared to previously reported fluorescent ClbP probes. Furthermore, we employ these chemiluminescent probes to detect pks ⁺

SUBMITTER: Ramos MAA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12776389 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature