Two T7-like Bacteriophages, K5-2 and K5-4, Each Encodes Two Capsule Depolymerases: Isolation and Functional Characterization

Abstract Two Klebsiella bacteriophages K5-2 and K5-4, which are able to infect and grow on either capsular types K30/K69 and K5 or K8 and K5 of Klebsiella strains, were isolated and characterized. Each phage contained two open reading frames (ORFs), which encoded two putative capsule depolymerases,...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Pei-Fang Hsieh, Hsiao-Hsuan Lin, Tzu-Lung Lin, Yi-Yin Chen, Jin-Town Wang
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2017
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/c8caa66e95794356b6e592c48b98309b
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Abstract Two Klebsiella bacteriophages K5-2 and K5-4, which are able to infect and grow on either capsular types K30/K69 and K5 or K8 and K5 of Klebsiella strains, were isolated and characterized. Each phage contained two open reading frames (ORFs), which encoded two putative capsule depolymerases, respectively. The first ORF encoded tail fiber proteins, which have K30/K69 depolymerase and K8 depolymerase activities. The second ORF encoded hypothetical proteins, which are almost identical in amino acid sequences, and have K5 depolymerase activity. Alcian blue staining of enzyme-treated capsular polysaccharides (CPS) showed that purified depolymerases can cleave purified Klebsiella CPS in vitro and liberate monosaccharaides. Capsule K5 deletion mutants were not lysed by either phage, suggesting that the capsule was essential for phage infection. Bacterial killing was observed when incubated Klebsiella strains with phages but not with purified depolymerases. Treatment with the K5-4 phage significantly increased the survival of mice infected with a K. pneumoniae K5 strain. In conclusion, two dual host-specific Klebsiella phages and their tailspikes exhibit capsule depolymerase activity were characterized. Each phage and phage-encoded depolymerase has specificity for capsular type K30/K69, K8 or K5, and could be used for the typing and treatment of K. pneumoniae infection.