Phage-Borne Depolymerases Decrease Klebsiella pneumoniae Resistance to Innate Defense Mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Klebsiella pneumoniae produces capsular polysaccharides that are a crucial virulence factor protecting bacteria against innate response mechanisms of the infected host. Simultaneously, those capsules are targeted by specific bacteriophages equipped with virion-associated depolymerases able to recognize and degrade these polysaccharides. We show that Klebsiella phage KP32 produces two capsule depolymerases, KP32gp37 and KP32gp38, with a high specificity for the capsular serotypes K3 and K21, respectively. Together, they determine the host spectrum of bacteriophage KP32, which is limited to strains with serotype K3 and K21. Both depolymerases form a trimeric β-structure, display moderate thermostability and function optimally under neutral to alkaline conditions. We show that b

SUBMITTER: Majkowska-Skrobek G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6205948 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature