Peptidoglycan degrading activity of the broad-range Salmonella bacteriophage S-394 recombinant endolysin.

The use of bacteriophage endolysins as specific antibacterial agents is a prospective strategy to treat bacterial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In case of Gram-negative species this strategy has limited applications since outer membrane shields the enzyme target and prevents bacteria lysis. We aimed to obtain and characterize the endolysin of the newly discovered anti-Salmonella bacteriophage S-394 (Lys394) and to choose an appropriate permeabilizing agent to disrupt Escherichia coli cells suspended in buffer solution and grown on agar surface. Lys394 synthesized in E. coli C41(DE3) was obtained as an electrophoretically homogenous protein. The protein of 18 kDa molecular weight shows high muralytic activity against various genera of chloroform treated Gram-negatives. Maximum of enzyme activity was observed at pH 8.5 and low ionic strength. In silico analysis of amino acid sequence identified Lys394 as an endopeptidase. Various outer membrane permeabilizers were analyzed in combination with Lys394 to degrade laboratory strain of E. coli CR63. Permeabilizing activity was evaluated using a periplasmic ß-lactamase leakage test with untreated E. coli cells as a substrate. The highest rate of planktonic E. coli lysis was reached for Lys394 applied together with 25 µg/ml of poly-l-arginine with molecular weight distribution from 5 to 15 kDa or 20 µg/ml PGLa peptide. Lawn E. coli colony forming ability was decreased by 4 orders of magnitude after 30 min treatment with 25 µg of Lys394, 1 mM EDTA and 50 µg/ml of PGLa peptide at a room temperature.

Physicochemical characterization of the staphylolytic LysK enzyme in complexes with polycationic polymers as a potent antimicrobial.

Staphylococcus aureus causes many serious visceral, skin, and respiratory diseases. About 90% of its clinical strains are multi-drug resistant, but the use of bacteriophage lytic enzymes offers a viable alternative to antibiotic therapy. LysK, the phage K endolysin, can lyse S. aureus when purified and exposed externally. It has been investigated in its complexes with polycationic polymers (poly-l-lysines (PLLs) of molecular weights 2.5, 9.6, and 55.2 kDa and their block copolymers with polyethylene glycol PLL10-PEG114, PLL30-PEG114, and PLL30-PEG23) as a basis for creating active and stable antimicrobial. Complexing with polycationic PLLs produces a stabilizing effect on LysK due to structure ordering in its molecules and break-down of aggregates as a result of electrostatic interaction. The stability of LysK in the presence of PLL-PEG block copolymers improves by both electrostatic and hydrophobic mechanisms. Complexes of LysK with 2.5, 9.6, 55.2 kDa poly-l-lysines and PLL30-PEG114 have demonstrated sufficient stability at the temperatures of physiological activity (37 °C) and storage (4 °C and 22 °C).