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Related Concept Videos

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

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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...
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Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

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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...
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Quantitative PCR of T7 Bacteriophage from Biopanning
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5500 Phages examined in the electron microscope.

H-W Ackermann1

  • 1Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Laval University, Québec, Canada. ackermann@mcb.ulaval.ca

Archives of Virology
|October 20, 2006
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Summary

Bacteriophages, viruses infecting bacteria and archaea, are predominantly tailed (96%). Electron microscopy reveals diverse phage morphologies and hosts across microbial phyla, with Siphoviridae being the most common tailed type.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Electron Microscopy

Background:

  • Phages, viruses that infect bacteria and archaea, are crucial in microbial ecosystems.
  • Electron microscopy, particularly negative staining, has been instrumental in studying phage morphology since 1959.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively analyze the morphology and classification of known bacteriophages.
  • To understand the distribution of phages across bacterial and archaeal phyla and their host ranges.

Main Methods:

  • Review and analysis of electron microscopy data for 5568 characterized phages.
  • Classification of phages based on morphology into orders, families, and groups.
  • Mapping phage hosts to bacterial and archaeal phyla.

Main Results:

  • 96% of examined phages possess tails, with 61% belonging to the Siphoviridae family (long, noncontractile tails).
  • Only 3.7% of phages exhibit polyhedral, filamentous, or pleomorphic structures.
  • Phages infect 154 host genera across 11 eubacterial and archaeal phyla, with Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria being primary hosts.
  • Evidence of convergent evolution in phage morphology was observed.

Conclusions:

  • The vast majority of bacteriophages are tailed, highlighting a dominant structural motif.
  • Phage diversity is extensive, encompassing various morphologies, host ranges, and evolutionary patterns.
  • Morphological analysis provides insights into phage classification and evolutionary relationships.