We propose 5 receptor-recognition strategies targeting the K. pneumoniae surface: capsule, O-antigen, LPS core, outer membrane proteins, resulting in diverse infection strategies. The full structural atlas is freely available at Klebsiella-Phage-RBP-Atlas. 🔗 vyshakhrp.github.io/klebsiella-r...
Structurally different RBPs often share near-identical N-terminals. The most striking case: within Webervirus, near-identical genomes swap a depolymerase for an L-shaped tail fiber at a single locus — 85% N-terminal identity preserved, host-range changed.
Mushuvirus is the most widespread phage genus in the human gut. 🌍
Together with other family members, these viruses occur in 89% of humans worldwide, including the Iceman Ötzi!
How is it possible that they were hidden in previous metagenomic analyses?
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Read: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Phage receptor-binding proteins are known for their LEGO-like modularity, but we still do not fully understand their evolutionary potential and how it shapes phage host range. Our new preprint examines this systematically in Klebsiella phages. 🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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The dataset: 192 Klebsiella phages across 3 morphotypes — podoviruses, siphoviruses, myoviruses (incl. jumbophages) — spanning 96 capsule types, with halo phenotypes and empirical and genetic host-range all determined. The broadest K. pneumoniae phage collection studied structurally to date.
Rafal Mostowy
Rafal Mostowy
Rafal Mostowy
Rafal Mostowy
Piotr Rozwalak
Huge congrats to @vyshakhrp.bsky.social for pulling this through, and to our fantastic collaborators from University of Wroclaw, University of Copenhagen, Lund University and Manchester Metropolitan University!
