Escherichia coli cell surface receptors recognized by LBP-EC01 phages

LBP-EC01 is a CRISPR-Cas3-enhanced bacteriophage cocktail developed by Locus Biosciences for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Escherichia coli [1, 2]. The target consists of various cell surface receptors on the E. coli outer membrane that the phages in the cocktail recognize and bind to initiate infection [2, 5]. These receptors typically include lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membrane proteins such as OmpC, OmpA, and BtuB [5, 6]. By targeting multiple distinct receptors, the cocktail ensures broad coverage of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains and reduces the likelihood of the bacteria developing resistance through single-receptor mutations [2, 3]. Once bound, the phages inject their genetic material, which includes a CRISPR-Cas3 system programmed to shred the bacterial genome at multiple essential sites, such as the ftsA gene, leading to rapid bacterial death and lysis [1, 4]. This dual mechanism of action—natural lytic activity combined with CRISPR-mediated DNA degradation—makes LBP-EC01 a potent precision medicine candidate for multi-drug resistant infections [1, 2].

Other names

E. coli phage receptorsUropathogenic Escherichia coli surface receptorsLBP-EC01 targetsUPEC cell surface receptors

Bacteriophage adsorption to specific bacterial cell surface receptors followed by viral DNA injection, lytic replication, and CRISPR-Cas3-mediated degradation of the bacterial genome.