Patent ID: 8012730

Claim:
An isolated or recombinant nucleic acid encoding an antimicrobial phi11 endolysin-derived peptidoglycan hydrolase enzyme molecule having specificity and exolytic activity for the peptidoglycan cell wall of untreated Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), said CNS comprising S. chronogenes, S. epidermis, S. hyicus, S. simulans, S. warneri , and S. xylocus , wherein said phi11 endolysin-derived peptidoglycan hydrolase is a truncated peptidoglycan hydrolase having endopeptidase and amidase activity and lacking a SH3b binding domain, and said nucleic acid encoding said truncated peptidoglycan hydrolase molecule has the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2.