Description | Virion exolysin involved in breaking down host cell peptidoglycans (e.g. murein, pseudomurein) to reach the host cytoplasmic membrane during virus entry. Exolysins are usually part of the tail or the base plate of prokaryotic viruses. Exolysins can display various enzymatic activities such as lysozyme, transglycosylase, muramidase or even protease activity. Murein hydrolases for example are widespread in bacteriophages infecting Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria |