Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis C2 Bacteriophage sk1 Receptor involving Rhamnose and Glucose Moieties in the Cell Wall

Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis C2 was reduced 64, 26, 26, 5, and 8% by addition of rhamnose, glucose, galactose, Nacetylglucosamine, and fucose, respectively, to the adsorption assay. Lectins that were specific for Nacetylglucosamine and galactose did not prevent phage adsorption. However, three lectins specific for glucose, but different in size, reduced phage adsorption from 0 to 50%. Another lectin, which was specific for rhamnose, reduced phage adsorption 80%. Rhamnose, but not glucose, partially inhibited phage infection when added to a growing culture. The data suggest that phage skl adsorbs directly to rhamnose constituents of the cell wall and that a glucose moiety is near the adsorption site or is an important conformational determinant of it.