Phage N4 uses a SAR endolysin-holin system for host cell lysis
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that only kill bacteria. To do so, they use lysis proteins targeted at the structural components of a bacterial cell. There are commonalities between the phages that infect bacteria with similar structures, but there are also interesting differences we can exploit to learn more about specific phages or their bacterial hosts. In this study, we characterize the lysis proteins a phage called N4 uses to kill E. coli bacteria. We also provide the basis for understanding how regulation of those proteins is linked to pathways that control phage yield by a mechanism that seems to differ from the one previously reported example in phage T4. Future studies on the relationship between lysis proteins and phage yield could provide handles to use this information for optimal phage production.
PHAGElogist 