title: The lysis system of the Streptomyces aureofaciens phage mu1/6.
abstract: Previously, two genes, designated as lyt and hol, were identified in the lysis module of phage mu1/6. They were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. An additional candidate holin gene, hol2, was found downstream from the hol gene based on one predicted transmembrane domain and a highly charged C-terminal sequence of the encoded protein. Expression of hol or hol2 in E. coli was shown to cause cell death. The concomitant expression of lambda endolysin (R) and mu1/6 holin resulted in cell lysis. Similarly, the coexpression of the endolysin and holin of phage mu1/6 led to lysis, apparently due to the ability of mu1/6 endolysin to hydrolyze the peptidoglycan layer of this bacterium. In contrast, the simultaneous expression of mu1/6 hol2 and the endolysin gene (lambdaR or mu1/6 lyt) did not cause detectable lysis of the host cells. Demonstration of the holin function in streptomycetes was achieved by providing for the release of mu1/6 endolysin to the periplasm and subsequent cleavage of the peptidoglycan, which strongly suggested that the holin produces lesions in the streptomycete membrane.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. jarmila.farkasovska@savba.sk
authors.forename: Jarmila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farkasovská
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godány
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001433:Bacteriolysis; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism; D013304:Streptomyces aureofaciens / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010457:Peptidoglycan; D014764:Viral Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases; C001143:endolysin