Phage Receptor

Abstract

In order to infect a bacterial cell, a bacteriophage must attach to the cell’s surface. This attachment is accomplished by phage receptor binding proteins (RBPs) that bind to the phage receptors on the surface of the bacterium. Receptor-RBP interaction is a crucial part of the phage life cycle and helps determine the host range of the bacteriophage. Bacteriophages can change their host specificity by mutation of RBP genes or via horizontal gene transfer that exchanges RBP genes or gene fragments between phages. Engineered receptor-RBP interactions are also useful in phage applications such as phage display or bacterial detection. Bacteria can become resistant to phage infection through mutations in the receptor on their surface. The receptor’s normal function in bacteria may be lost by these mutations enabling the use of bacteriophages to drive useful alterations in bacterial phenotype such as a loss of antibiotic resistance.