Phage lytic enzymes: a history

Abstract

There are many recent studies regarding the efficacy of bacteriophage-related lytic enzymes: the enzymes of 'bacteria-eaters' or viruses that infect bacteria. By degrading the cell wall of the targeted bacteria, these lytic enzymes have been shown to efficiently lyse Gram-positive bacteria without affecting normal flora and non-related bacteria. Recent studies have suggested approaches for lysing Gram-negative bacteria as well (Briersa Y, et al., 2014). These enzymes include: phage-lysozyme, endolysin, lysozyme, lysin, phage lysin, phage lytic enzymes, phageassociated enzymes, enzybiotics, muralysin, muramidase, virolysin and designations such as Ply, PAE and others. Bacteriophages are viruses that kill bacteria, do not contribute to antimicrobial resistance, are easy to develop, inexpensive to manufacture and safe for humans, animals and the environment. The current focus on lytic enzymes has been on their use as anti-infectives in humans and more recently in agricultural research models. The initial translational application of lytic enzymes, however, was not associated with treating or preventing a specific disease but rather as an extraction method to be incorporated in a rapid bacterial detection assay (Bernstein D, 1997).The current review traces the translational history of phage lytic enzymes-from their initial discovery in 1986 for the rapid detection of group A streptococcus in clinical specimens to evolving applications in the detection and prevention of disease in humans and in agriculture.

The In-Feed Antibiotic Carbadox Induces Phage Gene Transcription in the Swine Gut Microbiome

“…In our data set, on day 2, expression of genes encoding phage tail proteins was enriched while expression of phage tail assembly proteins was decreased with carbadox. Genes involved in lysogen invasion and phage DNA recombination, the terminal step of the phage lytic cycle, were also enriched in our data set, including phage lysozyme (bacterial lysis [ 32 ]), phage integrase and prophage site-specific recombinase (DNA recombination in new bacterial hosts), and phage resolvase (resolves Holliday junctions during phage recombination [ 33 ]). A previous study measured an increase in DNA encoding phage integrase in the swine gut microbial metagenome ( 20 ).…”

Gram-Negative Bacterial Lysins

“…Although bacteriophage therapy has been in use for at least the last century, the rising threat of AMR has renewed interest in phages and such phage-encoded products as antimicrobials and spurred the clinical development of such treatments in the last few years [10]. In the 1920s, d'Herelle, Eliava and their colleagues showed that phage therapy was effective for prophylaxis and treatment of skin infections caused by Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus, as well as diarrheal illnesses caused by Salmonella and Escherichia coli [11][12][13]. Although efficacy was shown in individual cases, the lack of consistent results and the timely discovery of small molecule antibiotics prevented a widespread adoption of phage therapy for clinical use in the western countries of the world [14].…”

Life aquatic: the amazing self-purifying properties of the Ganges River.

“…(6) The French scientist Félix d'Herelle later attributed the Ganges' antimicrobial activity to bacteriophages (tiny bacteria-killing viruses), which exist in very high numbers in the Ganges. (7) More recently, Chandra Shekhar Nautiyal, a scientist at the National Botanical Research Institute in India, studied the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli in Ganges water. E. coli can cause serious infections in humans, such as haemorrhagic colitis, and is often used as an indicator of fecal pollution in natural waters.…”

“…(8) Scientists are now hopeful that the Ganges might provide clues for designing new antimicrobial drugs. (7) We live in a time where the liberal and widespread use of antibiotics is undermining modern medicine. (9) According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance could become a global crisis, where even common infections and minor injuries prove difficult or impossible to treat.…”

“…(9) Moreover, studies have shown that bacteriophages can efficiently target specific bacteria without affecting normal human flora. (7) Even after a century of research, the purifying properties of the Ganges still hold many mysteries. Indian scientist Gokul Rajan, as part of his graduate research work, showed that selectively eliminating bacterial populations from Ganges water samples completely eliminated the anti-bacterial properties of the water.…”