At the onset of the infective process, bacterial viruses are usually confronted with the penetration of a complex host cell envelope. Gram-negative bacterial envelope usually comprises a cell membrane, a thin periplasmic peptidoglcan cell wall covered with an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharides (LPS). By contrast, Gram-positive bacterial envelope lacks the outer membrane, but has a much thicker peptidoglycan layer containing cell-wall glycopolymers. Moreover, these cell-envelope structures can be surrounded by other protective structures such as capsular polysaccharides (e.g. α2,8-linked polysialic acid (PSA), Hyaluronic acid (HA)), S-layer proteins or mucolic acids.
Bacterial viruses must be equipped to be able to penetrate through all these layers. Virions carry the necessary enzymatic activities to perforate the capsule, slime and peptidoglycan layers of their specific host. LPS-binding virions usually degrade these polysaccharides chains after attachment.
Virus | Family | Host bacteria | Surface component type | Phage degrading enzyme | ref. |
Phage φ92 | Myoviridae | E.coli (K1, K5, K92), Salmonella strains | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase gp143 | |
Phage K1A | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage K1E | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage K1F | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage 63D | Siphoviridae | - | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage K1-5 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage CUS-3 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | |
Phage PT-6 | unclassified | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Alginate, capsular | Alginate lyase | |
Phage H4489A | unclassified | Streptococcus pyogenes | HA, capsular | Hyaluronidase | |
Phage 370.1 | Siphoviridae | Streptococcus pyogenes | HA, capsular | HylP1, HylP2, HylP3 | |
Phage H10403 | unclassified | Streptococcus pyogenes | HA, capsular | Hyaluronoglucosaminidase | |
Phage AF | Podoviridae | Pseudomonas putida | EPS, capsular | EPS hydrolase | |
Phage P27 | - | Salmonella typhimurium | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | |
Phage 9NA | - | Salmonella typhimurium | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | |
Phage KB-1 | - | Salmonella typhimurium | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | |
Phage Det7 | Myoviridae | Salmonella typhimurium | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | |
Phage Sf6 | Podoviridae | Shigella flexneri | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | |
Phage ε15 | Podoviridae | LPS | Endorhamnosidase | ||
Phage HK620 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli H | LPS | Tail spike endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase | |
Phage GA-1 | Podoviridae | Bacillus G1R | Peptidoglycan | gp3 | |
Phage SPβ | Siphoviridae | Bacillus subtilis | Peptidoglycan | YomI | |
Phage SPO1 | Myoviridae | Bacillus subtilis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage SPP1 | Siphoviridae | Bacillus subtilis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage M2 | Podoviridae | Bacillus subtilis | Peptidoglycan | gp3 | |
Phage φ29 | Podoviridae | Bacillus subtilis | Peptidoglycan | gp3 | |
Phage PRD1 | Tectiviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | p7 | |
Phage T3 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | gp16 | |
Phage K1-5 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | orf35 | |
PSA, capsular | Endosialidase | ||||
Phage N4 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage T4 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | gp5 | |
Phage T5 | Siphoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | Pb2 | |
Phage C1 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage φ949 | - | Lactococcus lactis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage φ31 | Siphoviridae | Lactococcus lactis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage φc2 | Myoviridae | Lactococcus lactis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage φr1t | - | Lactococcus lactis | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage φ6 | Cystoviridae | Pseudomonas syringae | Peptidoglycan | P5 | |
Phage φ13 | Cystoviridae | Pseudomonas syringae | Peptidoglycan | - | |
Phage SP6 | Podoviridae | Salmonella typhimurium | Peptidoglycan | orf35 | |
Phage P22 | Podoviridae | Salmonella typhimurium | Peptidoglycan | gp4 | |
LPS | Endorhamnosidase | ||||
Phage φYeO3-12 | Podoviridae | Yersinia enterocolitica | Peptidoglycan | gp16 | |
Phage φKMV | Podoviridae | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Peptidoglycan | gp36 | |
Phage φKZ | Myoviridae | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Peptidoglycan | gp181 | |
Phage T7 | Podoviridae | Escherichia coli | Peptidoglycan | gp16 |