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Related Concept Videos

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...
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

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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 lytic replication...
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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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...
Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle01:20

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Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. Among them, T-even bacteriophages, such as T4, exhibit a well-characterized lytic replication cycle in Escherichia coli (E. coli). This process ensures the rapid proliferation of the virus while ultimately leading to the destruction of the bacterial host.Attachment and DNA InjectionThe infection process begins with the recognition and binding of the T4 phage to the E. coli cell surface. Tail fibers of the phage...
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Aseptic Laboratory Techniques: Plating Methods
18:00

Aseptic Laboratory Techniques: Plating Methods

Published on: May 11, 2012

Bacteriophage plaques: theory and analysis.

Stephen T Abedon1, John Yin

  • 1Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|December 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteriophage growth is studied in broths or agar, but spatially structured environments like plaques are crucial for understanding environmental bacteria. Plaque growth has unique selective pressures compared to broth cultures.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacteriophage Biology
  • Environmental Microbiology

Background:

  • Bacteriophage (phage) growth is traditionally characterized in liquid broth cultures or semisolid agar media.
  • These environments differ significantly in spatial structure, affecting diffusion, motility, and mixing.
  • Spatially structured environments are relevant as many environmental bacteria reside in biofilms, soil, or host tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore bacteriophage growth in spatially structured environments, specifically focusing on plaque formation.
  • To highlight the importance and complexity of phage plaque growth, a central technique in phage studies.
  • To discuss the distinct selective pressures acting on phages during plaque development compared to broth cultures.

Main Methods:

  • Discussion of the definition and formation process of phage plaques.
  • Review of experimental and theoretical methods used to study plaque growth dynamics.
  • Analysis of factors influencing plaque size and development.

Main Results:

  • Plaque formation is a complex process occurring in a spatially structured environment.
  • Selective pressures during plaque growth differ from those in well-mixed broth cultures.
  • Plaque characteristics may not directly reflect phage fitness in broth.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding phage growth in spatially structured environments, like plaques, is vital due to the prevalence of such habitats for bacteria.
  • Phage plaque assays, while common, require a deeper appreciation of their inherent complexity and unique selective pressures.
  • Caution is advised when extrapolating phage fitness from broth culture data to plaque characteristics and vice versa.