Identification of the receptor-binding protein in lytic Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides bacteriophages.

Two phages, P793 and ΦLN04, sharing 80.1% nucleotide sequence identity but having different strains of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides as hosts, were selected for identification of the host determinant gene. Construction of chimeric phages leading to the expected switch in host range identified the host determinant genes as ORF21P793/ORF23ΦLN04. The genes are located in the tail structural module and have low sequence similarity at the distal end.