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Main features on tailed phage, host recognition and DNA uptake.

Lucienne Letellier1, Pascale Boulanger, Laure Plançon

  • 1Institut de Biochimie et Biophysique Moleculaire et Cellulaire, UMR CNRS 8619, Universite Paris Sud, Bat 430, 91405 Orsay cedex, France. lucienne.letellier@biomemb.u-psud.fr

Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|February 24, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Bacteriophages utilize unique mechanisms for rapid, unidirectional DNA transport across host membranes. This review explores the diverse strategies and driving forces behind phage DNA translocation, focusing on tailed phages and recent in vitro findings.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Bacteriophage nucleic acid transport is a complex process distinct from typical membrane transport systems.
  • The large size of phage genomes and the rapid rate of DNA translocation (up to 4000 bp/sec) present significant biophysical challenges.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending viral infection and developing novel biotechnological tools.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the diverse mechanisms of DNA transport employed by different bacteriophages.
  • To investigate how phage genomes overcome the hydrophobic barrier of host cell envelopes.
  • To explore the role of phage and host factors, and the driving forces behind DNA translocation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on bacteriophage DNA transport.

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  • Analysis of data from studies on selected tailed phages, the most common phage type.
  • Inclusion of recent in vitro experimental data, particularly for phage T5 DNA transport.

    • Main Results:

    • Phage DNA transport is unidirectional and remarkably efficient, often involving translocation of large nucleic acid molecules.
    • Evidence suggests variations in transport mechanisms among different phage types, questioning a single universal mechanism.
    • In vitro studies on phage T5 have begun to elucidate specific molecular steps involved in DNA translocation.

    Conclusions:

    • Bacteriophage DNA transport mechanisms are diverse and highly specialized, adapted to specific phage-host interactions.
    • Overcoming the host envelope's hydrophobic barrier and identifying the driving forces remain key areas of investigation.
    • Further research, including in vitro studies, is essential to fully decipher the intricacies of phage nucleic acid delivery.