Phage-protease-peptide: a novel trifecta enabling multiplex detection of viable bacterial pathogens.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophages represent rapid, readily targeted, and easily produced molecular probes for the detection of bacterial pathogens. Molecular biology techniques have allowed researchers to make significant advances in the bioengineering of bacteriophage to further improve speed and sensitivity of detection. Despite their host specificity, bacteriophages have not been meaningfully leveraged in multiplex detection of bacterial pathogens. We propose a proof-of-principal phage-based scheme to enable multiplex detection. Our scheme involves bioengineering bacteriophage to carry a gene for a specific protease, which is expressed during infection of the target cell. Upon lysis, the protease is released to cleave a reporter peptide, and the signal detected. Here we demonstrate the successful (i) modi

SUBMITTER: Alcaine SD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4963237 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature