Bacteriophage and Peptidoglycan Degrading Enzymes with Antimicrobial Applications

Abstract excerpt

Peptidoglycan is the major structural component of bacterial cell walls. In this era of increasingly antibiotic resistant pathogens, peptidoglycan hydrolases that degrade this important cell wall structure have emerged as a potential novel source of new antimicrobials. Included in this class are bacteriocins (lysostaphin), lysozyme, and bacteriophage endolysins. Bacteriophage are viruses that infect and utilize...