Phage Protein Gp11 Blocks Cell Division by Inhibiting Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis

Importance: Understanding the interplay between phages and their hosts is important for the development of novel therapies against pathogenic bacteria. Although phages have been used to control methicillin-resistant infections, our knowledge related to the processes in the early stages of phage infection is still limited. Owing to the fact that most of the phage early proteins have been classified as hypothetical proteins with uncertain functions, we screened phage early-gene products that inhibit cell growth in , and one protein, Gp11, selectively targets essential host genes to block the synthesis of the peptidoglycan component lipid II, ultimately leading to cell growth arrest in . Our study provides a novel insight into the strategy by which Gp11 blocks essential host cellular metabolism to influence phage-host interaction. Importantly, dissecting the interactions between phages and host cells will contribute to the development of new and effective therapies to treat bacterial infections.