1999/02/01 by Michelle M. Sheehan, Elizabeth Stanley, Gerald F. Fitzgerald +1 · 47 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Autolysin #Bacteria #Bacteriophage #Bacteriophages and microbial interactions #Biology #Escherichia coli #Gene #Genetics #Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies #Lysin #Lysis #Lysogenic cycle #Lytic cycle #Microbiology #Molecular biology #Peptidoglycan #Prophage #RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms #Streptococcus thermophilus #Virus
paper · pdf · doi:10.1128/aem.65.2.569-577.1999
published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65(2), 569-577 (American Society for Microbiology)
openalex publication_date 1999/02/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
A lysis module encoded by the temperate bacteriophage phiO1205 was identified. This lysis module contains a lysin gene, designated lyt51, and two putative holin-encoding genes, designated lyt49 and lyt50. lyt51 encodes a lytic enzyme specifically directed against streptococcal cell walls. Similar to other phage-encoded lysins, Lyt51 appears to have a modular design in which the N-terminal portion corresponds to its enzymatic activity while the C-terminal region is responsible for its substrate binding specificity. The two putative holin-encoding genes, lyt49 and lyt50, located immediately upstream of lyt51, were identified on the basis of their homology to other identified holin-encoding genes. Expression of lyt49 or lyt50 in Escherichia coli was shown to cause cell death and leakage of the intracellular enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase into the growth medium without apparent lysis of the cells. Southern blotting experiments demonstrated that at least one of the three components of the identified lysis module is present in all members of a large collection of bacteriophages, indicating that components of this lysis module are widespread among bacteriophages infecting Streptococcus thermophilus.