Cross-genus rebooting of custom-made, synthetic bacteriophage genomes in L-form bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Engineered bacteriophages provide powerful tools for biotechnology, diagnostics, pathogen control, and therapy. However, current techniques for phage editing are experimentally challenging and limited to few phages and host organisms. Viruses that target Gram-positive bacteria are particularly difficult to modify. Here, we present a platform technology that enables rapid, accurate, and selection-free construction of synthetic, tailor-made phages that infect Gram-positive bacteria. To this end, custom-designed, synthetic phage genomes were assembled in vitro from smaller DNA fragments. We show that replicating, cell wall-deficient Listeria monocytogenes L-form bacteria can reboot synthetic phage genomes upon transfection, i.e., produce virus particles from naked, synthetic DNA. Surpr

SUBMITTER: Kilcher S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5776983 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature