Gp29 LysA of mycobacteriophage TM4 can hydrolyze peptidoglycan through an N-acetyl-muramoyl-L-alanine amidase activity.

Bacteriophage endolysins are crucial for progeny release at the end of the lytic cycle. Mycobacteriophage's genomes carry a lysin A essential gene, whose product cleaves the peptidoglycan (PG) layer and a lysin B, coding for an esterase, that cleaves the linkage between the mycolic acids and the arabinogalactan-PG complex. Lysin A mycobacteriophage proteins are highly modular and in gp29 (LysA) of phage TM4 three distinctive domains were identified.

Genome Sequence and Characterization of Phage, vB_LcaM_Lbab1 Isolated from Raw Milk.

Only a few phages have so far been characterized. As several strains are part of probiotic formulations, bacteriophage outbreaks targeting these strains can lead to critical losses within the dairy industry. A new phage was isolated from raw milk obtained from a milking yard from the province of Buenos Aires.

Isolation and Characterization of vB_MsmS_Celfi: A New Bacteriophage.

Because of the clinical relevance of , and from a therapeutic perspective, there is an increasing interest to study phages that infect bacteria belonging to this genus. A phage was isolated from a soil sample, using as host. Its characterization included sequencing, annotation, and analysis of the genome, host range determination, and electron microscopy imaging.

Tightening Bonds in Latin America Through Phage Discovery.

Between 2015 and 2019, we hosted an International Phage Course at Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 2-week full-time course was hands-on and included lectures from renowned phage biologists. Participating students were able to meet and discuss with recognized experts from around the world in a familiar setting, facilitating the establishment of scientific collaborations and the expansion of their networks.

New substrates and interactors of the mycobacterial Serine/Threonine protein kinase PknG identified by a tailored interactomic approach.

PknG from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a multidomain Serine/Threonine protein kinase that regulates bacterial metabolism as well as the pathogen's ability to survive inside the host by still uncertain mechanisms. To uncover PknG interactome we developed an affinity purification-mass spectrometry strategy to stepwise recover PknG substrates and interactors; and to identify those involving PknG autophosphorylated docking sites. We report a confident list of 7 new putative substrates and 66 direct or indirect partners indicating that PknG regulates many physiological processes, such as nitrogen and energy metabolism, cell wall synthesis and protein translation.

Fluoromycobacteriophages Can Detect Viable and Determine Phenotypic Rifampicin Resistance in 3-5 Days From Sputum Collection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 40% of tuberculosis (TB) cases are not diagnosed and treated correctly. Even though there are several diagnostic tests available in the market, rapid, easy, inexpensive detection, and drug susceptibility testing (DST) of is still of critical importance specially in low and middle-income countries with high incidence of the disease. In this work, we have developed a microscopy-based methodology using the reporter mycobacteriophage ϕ for detection of and phenotypic determination of rifampicin resistance within just days from sputum sample collection.

Evaluation of nitroxyl donors' effect on mycobacteria.

Nitroxyl (HNO) is a highly elusive and reactive molecule. Nitroxyl biological effects and pharmacological potential are becoming increasingly relevant. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection needs new and more efficient drugs.

Generation of affinity-tagged fluoromycobacteriophages by mixed assembly of phage capsids.

Addition of affinity tags to bacteriophage particles facilitates a variety of applications, including vaccine construction and diagnosis of bacterial infections. Addition of tags to phage capsids is desirable, as modification of the tails can lead to poor adsorption and loss of infectivity. Although tags can readily be included as fusions to head decoration proteins, many phages do not have decoration proteins as virion components.