Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are a major threat to public health. Bacteriophage endolysins (lysins) are a promising alternative treatment to traditional antibiotics. However, the lysins currently under development are still underestimated. Herein, we cloned the lysin from the SAP-26 bacteriophage genome. The recombinant LysSAP26 protein inhibited the growth of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 5~80 µg/mL. In animal experiments, mice infected with A. baumannii were protected by LysSAP26, with a 40% survival rate. Transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed that LysSAP26 treatment resulted in the destruction of bacterial cell walls. LysSAP26 is a new endolysin that can be applied to treat MDR A. baumannii, E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli infections, targeting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Keywords: antimicrobial activity; endolysin; multidrug-resistant bacteria.