Structural Insights into Lactococcal Siphophage p2 Baseplate Activation Mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Virulent phages infecting L. lactis, an industry-relevant bacterium, pose a significant risk to the quality of the fermented milk products. Phages of the Skunavirus genus are by far the most isolated lactococcal phages in the cheese environments and phage p2 is the model siphophage for this viral genus. The baseplate of phage p2, which is used to recognize its host, was previously shown to display two conformations by X-ray crystallography, a rested state and an activated state ready to bind to the host. The baseplate became only activated and opened in the presence of Ca²⁺. However, such an activated state was not previously observed in the virion. Here, using nanobodies binding to the baseplate, we report on the negative staining electron microscopy structure of the act

SUBMITTER: Spinelli S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7472080 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature