Bacillus spores are the causative agent of a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from food-borne illnesses to inhalation anthrax. They possess a complex multilayered structure, armored with a protective dense proteinaceous spore coat. The dormant spores are resistant to heat, organic solvents, radiation and conventional biocides. Current methods to decontaminate spores pose significant health and environmental risks. We have developed an environmentally benign “outside-in” decontamination route capable of selectively degrading the coat and the subsequent inner layers, resulting in spore germination. Furthermore, germinated spores were inactivated through the use of bacteriolytic enzymes with highly evolved specificity towards bacterial cell walls. Our enzyme driven spore killing reduces the environmental burden of conventional decontamination approaches. We investigated the role of growth stage of bacterial life cycle on enzyme efficacy. Moreover, we probed the fundamental differences between the germinated spore and the vegetative bacterial cell in their susceptibility towards lytic enzymes. Such an analysis would provide an in-depth mechanistic understanding of enzyme function and aid in further enhancing bacterial killing.

Enzyme-based approaches to kill Bacillus spores and other resistant pathogens

249th National Meeting (2015)

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