This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kenny, J. G. Articles by van Sinderen, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kenny, J. G. Articles by van Sinderen, D.

Bacteriophage Tuc2009 Encodes a Tail-Associated Cell Wall-Degrading Activity

National Food Biotechnology Centre and Department of Microbiology,¹ Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Biosciences Institute, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland²

Received 1 December 2003/ Accepted 23 February 2004

Tuc2009 is a P335-type member of the tailed-phage supergroup Siphoviridae and was originally identified as a resident prophage of the gram-positive bacterium Lactococcus lactis UC509. A Tuc2009 gene designated tal₂₀₀₉ which is located within the morphogenic module was shown to specify a lytic activity within the 3' portion of its coding region. Comparative sequence analysis indicated that the cell wall-degrading part of Tal₂₀₀₉ is a member of the M37 protein family and that Tal₂₀₀₉ lacks a cell-binding domain, a finding supported by binding studies. Tal₂₀₀₉ appears to undergo self-mediated posttranslational processing in both L. lactis and Escherichia coli. Antibodies directed against a purified C-terminal portion of Tal₂₀₀₉ were used for immunoelectron microscopy, which showed that Tal₂₀₀₉ is located at the tail tip of Tuc2009. Antibody neutralization studies demonstrated that Tal₂₀₀₉-directed antibodies inhibited the ability of phage to mediate host lysis by more than 100-fold. These data indicate that tal₂₀₀₉ encodes a tail-associated lysin involved in localized cell wall degradation, thus allowing the Tuc2009 DNA injection machinery access to the membrane of its bacterial host.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Sciara, G., Blangy, S., Siponen, M., Mc Grath, S., van Sinderen, D., Tegoni, M., Cambillau, C., Campanacci, V. (2008). A Topological Model of the Baseplate of Lactococcal Phage Tuc2009. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 2716-2723 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mc Grath, S., Neve, H., Seegers, J. F. M. L., Eijlander, R., Vegge, C. S., Brondsted, L., Heller, K. J., Fitzgerald, G. F., Vogensen, F. K., van Sinderen, D. (2006). Anatomy of a Lactococcal Phage Tail. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3972-3982 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Duplessis, M., Levesque, C. M., Moineau, S. (2006). Characterization of Streptococcus thermophilus Host Range Phage Mutants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3036-3041 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vegge, C. S., Vogensen, F. K., Mc Grath, S., Neve, H., van Sinderen, D., Brondsted, L. (2006). Identification of the Lower Baseplate Protein as the Antireceptor of the Temperate Lactococcal Bacteriophages TP901-1 and Tuc2009. J. Bacteriol. 188: 55-63 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Takac, M., Blasi, U. (2005). Phage P68 Virion-Associated Protein 17 Displays Activity against Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 2934-2940 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vegge, C. S., Brondsted, L., Neve, H., Mc Grath, S., van Sinderen, D., Vogensen, F. K. (2005). Structural Characterization and Assembly of the Distal Tail Structure of the Temperate Lactococcal Bacteriophage TP901-1. J. Bacteriol. 187: 4187-4197 [Abstract] [Full Text]