How a Phage Protein Blocks Bacterial Cell Wall Synthesis (IMAGE)
Caption
The bacterial protein MurJ transports lipid II, an essential building block of the cell wall, across the cell membrane by changing its shape. The phage-derived protein SglPP7 binds to MurJ and inserts its C-terminal tail into an internal cavity, locking MurJ in an outward-facing conformation. This prevents MurJ from completing its transport cycle, disrupting a process essential for bacterial survival.
Credit
Adapted from figures in Hosoda et al., PLOS Biology (2026), DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3004039. © 2026 Hosoda et al. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
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CC BY