Characterization of a novel endolysin from bacteriophage infectingVibrio parahaemolyticus,vB_VpaP_KF2

Abstract

The antimicrobial resistance of food-borne pathogenic bacteria, includingVibrio parahaemolyticus,has been reported globally, warranting the need to identify promising alternative antibiotics such as endolysins that originate from bacteriophages. In our previous study, we characterized a bacteriophage infectingV. parahaemolyticus, vB_VpaP_KF2, at the molecular level. In this study, an open reading frame encoding putative endolysin was cloned from the complete genome data and expressed in theEscherichia coliexpression system. The recombinant endolysin, vB_VpaP_KF2_Lys, exhibited a novel lytic property against Gram-negative bacteria regardless of pretreatment with an outer-membrane permeabilizer. It was also stable over a wide range of temperatures, pH, and NaCl concentrations, and its hydrolytic spectrum was broader than that of the parent bacteriophage. From the results, vB_VpaP_KF2_Lys could be used as a biocontrol agent against food-borne pathogens in the field of food safety.