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Abstract
Most bacteriophages encode two types of cell wall lytic proteins: endolysins (lysins) and virion-associated peptidoglycan hydrolases. Both enzymes have the ability to degrade the peptidoglycan of Gram-positive bacteria resulting in cell lysis when they are applied externally. Bacteriophage lytic proteins have a demonstrated potential in treating animal models of infectious diseases. There has also been an increase in the study of these lytic proteins for their application in areas such as food safety, pathogen detection/diagnosis, surfaces disinfection, vaccine development and nanotechnology. This review summarizes the more recent developments, outlines the full potential of these proteins to develop new biotechnological tools and discusses the feasibility of these proposals.
Declaration of interest
This research study was supported by grants AGL2012-40194-C02-01 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain) (PG) and BARD # IS-4573-12 R (DMD). DG is a fellow of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain. Mentioning of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.