ABSTRACT
The enzymes of bacteriophages and other viruses have been essential research tools since the first days of molecular biology. However, the current repertoire of viral enzymes only hints at their overall potential. The most commonly used enzymes are derived from a surprisingly small number of cultivated viruses. The whole phage particles are used as antimicrobial agent in phage therapy. But the isolated phage lytic enzymes are highly specific antimicrobial agents that often target gram-positive pathogens without affecting beneficial co-occurring organisms. Some viral tail proteins also have bacteriostatic activity and might be useful as antimicrobial compounds. However, practical application of functional viral metagenomics as an approach to new enzyme development is in its infancy. Molecular biology research always depends on enzymes for almost every manipulation used in amplification, detection, cloning, expression, mutagenesis and analysis of nucleic acids. Enzymes from viruses and other phages have been instrumental in the development of the field of biotechnology.
