Download MendeleyDynamic adhesion device of phage OE33PA drives Gram-positive host recognition.
Schmitt, L., Chaib, A., Ptchelkine, D., Kandiah, E., Le Marrec, C., Cambillau, C., Goulet, A.(2026) bioRxiv
- PubMed: 42244550 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.05.20.726473
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
30YS, 30YT, 30YU, 30YV, 30YW, 30YX, 30YY, 30YZ, 30ZA - PubMed Abstract:
Bacteriophages (phages) infecting Gram-positive bacteria must bind to host receptors across thick cell walls to initiate infection, yet the underlying structural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the Oenococcus oeni siphophage OE33PA, providing the first atomic resolution view of a phage infecting this bacterium important for the wine industry. While the overall virion architecture is conserved, the adhesion device displays distinctive features. Its receptor-binding proteins adopt multiple orientations, revealing an intrinsically dynamic assembly. In situ cryo-electron tomography captures distinct conformations upon host attachment, providing rare structural insight into interactions with Gram-positive hosts. Additionally, functional assays show that a highly mobile carbohydrate-binding module in the distal tail protein mediates host-specific binding. Furthermore, the tape measure protein, central to phage assembly and infectivity, adopts a hexameric organization, updating the prevailing trimeric model in siphophages. Together, these findings reveal a dynamic adhesion device in a phage infecting Gram-positive bacteria and highlight the structural and functional diversity of phages.
