Functional analysis of antibacterial activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens phage endolysin against Gram-negative bacteria

To analyze the antibacterial activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens phage e ndolysin, nine deletion derivatives of the endolysin mere constructed. Each deletion mutant was overexpressed, purified and characterized. The catalyt ic domain was located on the N-terminal region and the C-terminus had an af finity with the bacterial envelope. The enzymatic activity remained in spit e of the deletion of the C-terminal 116-amino acid region; however, the ant ibacterial activity mas lost. These results indicate that antibacterial act ion requires both the C-terminal cell-binding and the N-terminal enzymatic activities. (C) 2001 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Publishe d by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.