YEAST BIOCATALYSTS FOR DEGRADATION OF BIOWARFARE AGENTS

摘要

The present disclosure relates to yeast biocatalysts and methods of using yeast biocatalysts for detoxifying a biowarfare agent. In some embodiments, a yeast biocatalyst may include a nucleic acid encoding a phage lysin operably linked to a prepro leader sequence, an expression control sequence operably linked to the nucleic acid, and a bioeffective amount (e.g., enough to detoxify) of the phage lysin. A yeast biocatalyst may include an engineered strain of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A phage lysin may be selected from the group consisting of PlyG and PlyPH. A method of detoxifying a biowarfare agent may include contacting a biowarfare agent with a yeast biocatalyst under conditions that permit detoxification. Conditions that permit detoxification, according to some embodiments, may include conditions that permit expression and secretion of a phage lysin. In some embodiments, conditions that permit detoxification may include conditions that permit germination of a spore. For example, a method of detoxifying a biowarfare agent spore may include contacting the spore with growth media (e.g., complete media or complex media) having alanine.