Summary Bacteriophages are highly selective in targeting bacteria. This selectivity relies on the specific adsorption of phages to the host cell surface. In this study, a Tn5 transposon mutant library of Erwinia amylovora , the causative agent of fire blight, was screened to identify bacterial receptors required for infection by the podovirus S6. Phage S6 was unable to infect mutants with defects in the bacterial cellulose syn...

Summary Many bacteria are able to assume a transient cell wall‐deficient (or L ‐form) state under favourable osmotic conditions. Cell wall stress such as exposure to β‐lactam antibiotics can enforce the transition to and maintenance of this state. L ‐forms actively proliferate and can return to the walled state upon removal of the inducing agent. We have adopted E scherichia coli as a model system for the controlled transition...

Summary The depolymerase enzyme (DpoL1) encoded by the T7 ‐like phage L1 efficiently degrades amylovoran, an important virulence factor and major component of the extracellular polysaccharide ( EPS ) of its host, the plant pathogen E rwinia amylovora . Mass spectrometry analysis of hydrolysed EPS revealed that DpoL1 cleaves the galactose‐containing backbone of amylovoran. The enzyme is most active at p H 6 and 50° C , and feat...

Summary Despite its prominent role as an intracellular human pathogen, L isteria monocytogenes normally features a saprophytic lifestyle, and shares many environmental habitats with predatory protozoa. Earlier studies claimed that A canthamoeba may act as environmental reservoirs for L . monocytogenes, whereas others failed to confirm this hypothesis. Our findings support the latter and provide clear evidence that L . monocyto...