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Related Concept Videos

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the lytic replication...
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages

In contrast to the lytic cycle, phages infecting bacteria via the lysogenic cycle do not immediately kill their host cell. Instead, they combine their genome with the host genome, allowing the bacteria to replicate the phage DNA along with the bacterial genome. The incorporated copy of the phage genome is called the prophage. Some prophages can re-activate and enter the lytic cycle. This often occurs in response to a perturbation, such as DNA damage, but can also transpire in the absence of...
Transduction01:16

Transduction

Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome are...
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle01:16

Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle

The lysogenic cycle is a crucial viral replication strategy that allows bacteriophages to persist within host cells without immediately destroying them. This process is primarily observed in temperate phages, such as bacteriophage lambda (λ), which infects Escherichia coli. The cycle allows the viral genome to persist across bacterial generations while keeping host cells viable.Integration of the Viral GenomeUpon infection, bacteriophage lambda attaches to the bacterial surface and injects its...
DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
Bacteriophages of the Human Virome01:23

Bacteriophages of the Human Virome

Bacteriophages are found throughout the human body. They may even outnumber eukaryotic viruses, forming an important and dynamic component of the human virome. Indeed, phages represent the most abundant viral entities, with densities in the gut reaching up to 10⁹ particles per gram of fecal matter, and many belonging to orders such as Caudovirales and Microviridae, while a substantial proportion remains unclassified as viral “dark matter.”Lysogeny and Genetic ExchangeIn the gut, bacteriophages...

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Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
06:10

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda

Published on: October 14, 2011

Prophage contribution to bacterial population dynamics.

Lionello Bossi1, Juan A Fuentes, Guido Mora

  • 1Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.

Journal of Bacteriology
|October 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) drive rapid evolution in Salmonella populations. Prophage induction enhances bacterial survival and promotes the spread of viral DNA, explaining its prevalence in bacterial genomes.

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
06:10

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda

Published on: October 14, 2011

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
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Published on: June 11, 2015

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

Published on: January 5, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Bacterial populations evolve through interactions with bacteriophages.
  • Prophages, integrated viral DNA, can influence bacterial traits and survival.
  • Understanding phage-host dynamics is crucial for microbial evolution studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of prophage induction on bacterial population dynamics.
  • To determine how phage-mediated killing and lysogenic conversion affect bacterial competitiveness.
  • To explain the widespread presence of prophage sequences in bacterial genomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing cocultures of Salmonella strains with and without specific prophages.
  • Observing rapid changes in bacterial population composition.
  • Analyzing the effects of phage-mediated killing and lysogenic conversion.

Main Results:

  • Cocultures showed swift compositional shifts due to phage activity.
  • Spontaneous prophage induction in a subset of lysogenic cells boosted overall population fitness.
  • This process favors the maintenance and dissemination of viral DNA within the bacterial population.

Conclusions:

  • Prophage induction acts as a selective pressure, enhancing the competitive fitness of lysogenic bacterial populations.
  • This mechanism likely contributes to the abundance of prophage sequences in bacterial genomes.
  • Bacteriophage-mediated selection may play a significant role in the evolutionary success of bacterial lineages.