A hybrid receptor binding protein enables phage F341 infection of Campylobacter by binding to flagella and lipooligosaccharides

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Flagellotropic bacteriophages are interesting candidates as therapeutics against pathogenic bacteria dependent on flagellar motility for colonization and causing disease. Yet, phage resistance other than loss of motility has been scarcely studied. Here we developed a soft agar assay to study flagellotropic phage F341 resistance in motile Campylobacter jejuni. We found that phage adsorption was prevented by diverse genetic mutations in the lipooligosaccharides forming the secondary receptor of phage F341. Genome sequencing showed phage F341 belongs to the Fletchervirus genus otherwise comprising capsular-dependent C. jejuni phages. Interestingly, phage F341 encodes a hybrid receptor binding protein (RBP) predicted as a short tail fiber showing partial similarity to RBP1 encoded by capsular-dependent Fletchervirus, but with a receptor binding domain similar to tail fiber protein H of C. jejuni CJIE1 prophages. Thus, C. jejuni prophages may represent a genetic pool from where lytic Fletchervirus phages can acquire new traits like recognition of new receptors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1358909
JournalFrontiers in Microbiology
Volume15
Number of pages14
ISSN1664-302X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Ostenfeld, Sørensen, Neve, Vitt, Klumpp and Sørensen.

    Research areas

  • Campylobacter, flagella, flagellotropic phage, Fletchervirus, phage, phage receptor, phage resistance, receptor binding protein

ID: 391510311