Targeting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cell surface via GP12, an Escherichia coli specific bacteriophage protein.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophages are highly abundant molecular machines that have evolved proteins to target the surface of host bacterial cells. Given the ubiquity of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, we reasoned that targeting proteins from bacteriophages could be leveraged to target the surface of Gram-negative pathogens for biotechnological applications. To this end, a short tail fiber (GP12) from the T4 bacteriophage, which infects Escherichia coli (E. coli), was isolated and tested for the ability to adhere to whole bacterial cells. We found that, surprisingly, GP12 effectively bound the surface of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells despite the established preferred host of T4 for E. coli. In efforts to elucidate why this binding pattern was observed, it was determin

SUBMITTER: Ongwae GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8760310 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature