Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity on earth, acting as the predators
and evolutionary drivers of bacteria. Owing to their inherent ability to specifically infect and …

Highlights•Phages use structurally diverse receptor binding proteins (RBPs) to target
different cell wall structures.•RBPs play a critical role in spatial and temporal positioning of …

Bacteriophages provide excellent tools for diagnostics, remediation, and targeted
microbiome manipulation, yet isolating viruses with suitable host specificity remains …

In 1952, Hershey and Chase used bacteriophage T2 genome delivery inside Escherichia
coli to demonstrate that DNA, not protein, is the genetic material. Over 70 years later, our …

The phage life cycle is a multi-stage process initiated by the recognition and attachment of
the virus to its bacterial host. This adsorption step depends on the specific interaction …

The T5 family of viruses are tailed bacteriophages characterized by a long non-contractile
tail. The bacteriophage DT57C is closely related to the paradigmal T5 phage, though it …

Bacteriophages recognize their host cells with the help of tail fiber and tailspike proteins that
bind, cleave, or modify certain structures on the cell surface. The spectrum of ligands to …

Highlights•Surface receptor-mediated phage resistance often comes at a cost for
fitness.•Possible trade-offs may include attenuated virulence, and increased sensitivity to …

Bacteriophages can play beneficial roles in phage therapy and destruction of food
pathogens. Conversely, they play negative roles as they infect bacteria involved in …

The myophage possesses a contractile tail that penetrates its host cell envelope. Except for
investigations on the bacteriophage T4 with a rather complicated structure, the assembly …