Bacteriophage are provided, and methods of making and using the bacteriophage also are provided.

The present invention is directed to the field of phage therapy for the treatment and control of bacterial infections. In particular, the present invention is directed to the novel bacteriophage F387/08, F391/08, F394/08, F488/08, F510/08, F44/10, and F125/10, isolated polypeptides thereof, compositions comprising one or more of the novel bacteriophage and/or isolated polypeptides, as well as to methods for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections using same, either alone or in combination with other antibacterial therapies, e.g., antibiotics and/or other phage therapies.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide methods for phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) of proteases. Some aspects of this invention provide methods for evaluating and selecting protease inhibitors based on the likelihood of the emergence of resistant proteases as determined by the protease PACE methods provided herein. Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for protease PACE, including fusion proteins for translating a desired protease activity into a selective advantage for phage particles encoding a protease exhibiting such an activity and improved mutagenesis-promoting expression constructs. Evolved proteases that recognize target cleavage sites which differ from their canonical cleavage site are also provided herein.

Provided herein, in some aspects are high efficiency gene editing methods in bacterial cells using single-stranded annealing proteins and/or single-stranded binding proteins.

The subject invention pertains to lysins fused to a CeA peptide fragment, particularly at the C-terminus of the lysin. The subject invention also pertains to recombinant DNA encoding said lysins, vectors encoding said recombinant DNA, host cells comprising said vectors, and compositions comprising said lysins. The invention further pertains to a method of treating a bacterial infection, particularly a Gram-negative bacterial infection.

The present disclosure relates generally to bacterial delivery vehicles for use in efficient transfer of a desired payload into a target bacterial cell. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to bacterial delivery vehicles with desired host ranges based on the presence of a chimeric receptor binding protein (RBP) composed of a fusion between the N-terminal region of a RBP derived from a lambda-like bacteriophage and the C-terminal region of a different RBP, and/or the presence of an engineered branched receptor binding multi-subunit polypeptides (“branched-RBP”).

Provided are compositions and methods for treating, ameliorating and preventing infections, disorders and conditions in mammals, including genetically-predisposed and chronic disorders, where a microbial or bacterial flora is at least one causative or symptom-producing factor. Provided are compositions and methods used to treat, prevent or ameliorate an infection, for example, an infection in the gastrointestinal tract, or bowel. Provided are compositions and methods for treating, ameliorating and/or preventing a condition comprising an abnormal, disrupted or pathological mucosal surface or mucus-covered epithelium, or a condition caused, modified or effected by an abnormal, disrupted or pathological microbiotia, wherein optionally the infection or condition comprises a diarrhea, a colitis, obesity, diabetes, autism, a cystic fibrosis, a dysentery, a gastrointestinal infection, a gastrointestinal inflammation, a gastrointestinal dysbiosis, a gastrointestinal upset, a lung infection, a bacterial infection, a viral infection, a secondary infection, an inflammation, a mucus hypersecretion, or a dysbiosis.

Provided are nucleic acids that include a promoter, where the promoter is operable in a Bacteroides cell and is operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest. Also provided are nucleic acids that include a promoter (operable in a prokaryotic cell such as a Bacteroides cell) operably linked to a sequence encoding a synthetic ribosomal binding site (RBS). Also provided are fusion proteins (and nucleic acids encoding them) in which a secreted Bacteroides polypeptide is fused to a heterologous polypeptide of interest. Also provided are prokaryotic cells (e.g., E. coli, a Bacteroides cell, and the like) that include one more nucleic acids such as those described above. Also provided are methods of expression in a prokaryotic cell, methods of detectably labeling a Bacteroides cell in an animal's gut, and methods of delivering a protein to an individual's gut.

The present invention concerns a method for expressing a recombinant DNA molecule in a eukaryotic host cell, comprising the steps of: (a) expressing or introducing at least one chimeric protein, in said host cell, wherein said chimeric protein comprises: (i) at least one catalytic domain of a capping enzyme, in particular selected in the group consisting of cap-0 canonical capping enzymes, cap-0 non-canonical capping enzymes, cap-1 capping enzymes and cap-2 capping enzymes; and (ii) at least one catalytic domain of a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, in particular a bacteriophage DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, (b) constitutively or transiently downregulating the phosphorylation level of subunit a of translation initiation factor eIF2 (eIF2α) in said host cell.

The invention also concerns an isolated nucleic acid molecule or a set of nucleic acid molecules, comprising or consisting of (1) at least one nucleic acid sequence encoding a chimeric protein comprising at least one catalytic domain of a capping enzyme; and at least one catalytic domain of a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase; and (2) at least one nucleic acid sequence downregulating the phosphorylation level of eIF2α in a eukaryotic host cell or encoding a polypeptide downregulating said phosphorylation level; and (3) optionally, at least one nucleic acid sequence encoding a poly(A) polymerase, as well as vectors, kits and cells comprising said nucleic acid molecule or set, and different uses and applications thereof.

The present disclosure provides a chimeric receptor binding protein (RBP) resistant to proteolytic digestion wherein said RBP comprises a portion of a receptor binding protein derived from a bacteriophage fused through a designed linker region consisting of 1 to 70 amino acids, to a portion of a receptor binding protein derived from a different bacteriophage, wherein said linker region is designed to be resistant to proteolytic digestion.