DepoCat is a database of experimentally verified phage depolymerases that enables sequence and structure-based classification and specificity prediction.

bioRxiv · Sep 17, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Identification and characterization of the antigonococcal prophage-encoded endolysin Phi1gp518

Magdalena Krzysztofik - Pelka, Barbara Maciejewska, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Agnieszka Kwiatek, Monika Adamczyk-Popławska

This study identifies and characterizes Phi1gp518, a prophage-encoded endolysin with broad antigonococcal activity and potential therapeutic applications against drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

bioRxiv · Jul 13, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Structural modularity of receptor-binding proteins underlies host-range strategy diversification in Klebsiella pneumoniae phages

Vyshakh R. Panicker, Bogna J. Smug, Victor Klein-Sousa, Mark C. Enright, Nicholas M. I. Taylor, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Rafal J. Mostowy

This study identifies structural modularity in Klebsiella pneumoniae phage RBPs, showing how modular exchange drives host-range diversification across multiple scales.

bioRxiv · May 20, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology

Capsular specificity in temperate phages of Klebsiella pneumoniae is driven by diverse receptor-binding enzymes

Aleksandra Otwinowska, Janusz Koszucki, Vyshakh R. Panicker, Jade Leconte, Sebastian Olejniczak, Kathryn E. Holt, Edward J. Feil, Eduardo P. C. Rocha, Bogna J. Smug, Barbara Maciejewska, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Rafal J. Mostowy

This study identifies prophage-encoded receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) mediating capsule specificity in Klebsiella pneumoniae, revealing structural diversity and functional activity beyond classical depolymerases.

PLoS Biology · Apr 28, 2026Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

DepoCatalog: Mapping the Diversity of 105 Recombinant Klebsiella Phage Depolymerases Across Sequence, Structure, and Substrate Specificity

Aleksandra Otwinowska, Sebastian Olejniczak, Agnieszka Łątka, Maria Pozniak, Grażyna Majkowska-Skrobek, Barbara Maciejewska, Janusz Koszucki, Vyshakh R. Panicker, Sara Jabłońska, Mathilde Hulsens, Joachim J. Bugert, Régis Tournebize, Stan J. J. Brouns, Flavia Squeglia, Rita Berisio, , Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa

The paper catalogs 105 recombinant Klebsiella phage depolymerases, classifying them by sequence, structure, and substrate specificity, revealing diverse enzyme functions and evolutionary patterns.

bioRxiv · Sep 9, 2025 · PreprintMicrobiology

A VersaTile approach to reprogram the specificity of the R2-type tailocin towards different serotypes of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Dorien Dams, Célia Pas, Agnieszka Łątka, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Lars Fieseler, Yves Briers

This paper introduces a VersaTile platform to engineer R2 tailocins with broad specificity against multiple E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae serotypes, achieving high efficacy and cross-species activity.

Antibiotics · Jan 18, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

Integrative omics analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virus PA5oct highlights the molecular complexity of jumbo phages

Cédric Lood, Katarzyna M. Danis-Wlodarczyk, Bob G. Blasdel, Ho Bin Jang, Dieter Vandenheuvel, Yves Briers, Jean‐Paul Noben, Vera van Noort, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Rob Lavigne

This study analyzes Pseudomonas aeruginosa virus PA5oct using hybrid sequencing and proteomics to reveal its genomic structure, transcription dynamics, and interactions with host bacteria.

Environmental Microbiology · Mar 10, 2020Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Genomic, transcriptomic, and structural analysis of Pseudomonas virus PA5oct highlights the molecular complexity among Jumbo phages

Katarzyna M. Danis-Wlodarczyk, Bob G. Blasdel, Ho Bin Jang, Dieter Vandenheuvel, Jean‐Paul Noben, Zuzanna Drulis‐Kawa, Rob Lavigne

The paper analyzes the genome, transcriptome, and proteome of Pseudomonas virus PA5oct to uncover its molecular complexity and gene regulation patterns.

bioRxiv · Sep 10, 2018 · PreprintGenomics