Characterization and therapeutic potential of DepZ57, a stable depolymerase targeting hypervirulent K57 Klebsiella pneumoniae
Sixiang Xu, Mengmeng Su, Xiaoyue Li, Pei Li, Xiangkuan Zheng, Huanxin Fang, Yilin Fang, Peifan Liu, Long Chen, Zihao Pan, Zhongming Tan, Hong Du, Wei Zhang · 2026
Read Characterization and therapeutic potential of DepZ57, a stable depolymerase targeting hypervirulent K57 Klebsiella pneumoniae by Sixiang Xu, Mengmeng Su, Xiaoyue Li, Pei Li, Xiangkuan Zheng, Huanxin Fang, Yilin Fang, Peifan Liu, Long Chen, Zihao Pan, Zhongming Tan, Hong Du, Wei Zhang (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13390486.txt.
Description
Sixiang Xu leads a 2026 characterisation of a virus enzyme that can strip the protective coat from a dangerous Klebsiella strain. Klebsiella pneumoniae infects people and animals, and drug-resistant forms have pushed interest in phage-based alternatives to antibiotics.
The enzyme, DepZ57, comes from a phage specific to the K57 capsule type and cuts the sugar coat that shields hypervirulent strains. Laboratory analysis found the purified protein stable and water-friendly, with a typical twisted ribbon shape for its class. Stripping the capsule can expose the bacterium to immune attack and to drugs. Infection researchers gain a candidate enzyme therapy aimed precisely at one high-risk capsule type.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Sixiang Xu, Mengmeng Su, Xiaoyue Li, Pei Li, Xiangkuan Zheng, Huanxin Fang, Yilin Fang, Peifan Liu, Long Chen, Zihao Pan, Zhongming Tan, Hong Du, Wei Zhang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 45289 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |