Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint02:19

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart, a...
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
Translesion DNA Polymerases02:10

Translesion DNA Polymerases

Translesion (TLS) polymerases rescue stalled DNA polymerases at sites of damaged bases by replacing the replicative polymerase and installing a nucleotide across the damaged site. Doing so, TLS allows additional time for the cell to repair the damage before resuming regular DNA replication.
TLS polymerases are found in all three domains of life - archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Of the different classes of TLS polymerases, members of the Y family are fitted with specialized structures that...
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Two neuroanatomical subtypes of major depressive disorder exhibit dissociable clinical profiles and distinct molecular signatures.

Journal of affective disorders·2026
Same author

The Lysis Genes of the Paradigm Phage SP6.

PHAGE (New Rochelle, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

A λ Phage Platform for Successful Therapeutic Display of Protein Antigens.

Research square·2026
Same author

Lambda Phage-Based Antibody-Stimulating Platform Targeting EGFRvIII.

Vaccines·2026
Same author

Synergistic modulation of edge diffraction with a coaxial OAM beam for reconfigurable photonic nanojet generation.

Applied optics·2026
Same author

Mechanotransduction-Induced Gene Expression Reveals Activation of TGFβ/SKIL/TAZ Axis and Supports Invasive Phenotype in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same journal

The bacterial SOS response promotes the expression of the transposase encoded by IS<i>CR</i> mobile genetic elements.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same journal

Development of a gene-editing strategy to overcome genetic intractability in <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i>.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same journal

Bactofilins are essential spatial organizers of peptidoglycan insertion in the Lyme disease spirochete <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same journal

DNA damage-associated vesicle production in <i>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</i> is mediated by the maltocin endolysin.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same journal

Characterization of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> aggregation reveals a requirement for both AlpA and AlpB.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same journal

Cross-regulation of amino acid synthesis and anaerobic electron transfer by MetR-mediated methionine signaling.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay
08:56

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay

Published on: May 5, 2020

The spanin complex is essential for lambda lysis.

Joel Berry1, Manoj Rajaure, Ting Pang

  • 1Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.

Journal of Bacteriology
|August 21, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteriophage lysis requires spanins, proteins essential for outer membrane disruption. Without spanins, phage-infected Gram-negative cells fail to lyse, forming spherical shapes instead of rupturing.

More Related Videos

Identification of Protein Complexes in Escherichia coli using Sequential Peptide Affinity Purification in Combination with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
14:58

Identification of Protein Complexes in Escherichia coli using Sequential Peptide Affinity Purification in Combination with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Published on: November 12, 2012

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay
08:56

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay

Published on: May 5, 2020

Identification of Protein Complexes in Escherichia coli using Sequential Peptide Affinity Purification in Combination with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
14:58

Identification of Protein Complexes in Escherichia coli using Sequential Peptide Affinity Purification in Combination with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Published on: November 12, 2012

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Phage lysis is a common cell-killing event in bacteria.
  • Gram-negative bacterial lysis typically involves holins and endolysins targeting cell membranes and peptidoglycan.
  • Spanins, a third class of lysis proteins, have been recently identified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of spanins in bacteriophage lysis of Gram-negative bacteria.
  • To compare lysis mechanisms involving different holin-endolysin systems with and without spanins.
  • To elucidate the function of spanins in the context of phage-induced cell death.

Main Methods:

  • Phase-contrast video microscopy to observe lysis dynamics.
  • Genetic manipulation of prophages to create null mutations in spanin genes.
  • Co-expression of a GFP-spanin chimera with other lysis proteins.

Main Results:

  • Spanin null mutations prevented lysis in both canonical holin-endolysin and pinholin-SAR endolysin systems.
  • Cells lacking functional spanins failed to rupture, instead becoming spherical.
  • A GFP-spanin chimera showed punctate distribution, suggesting membrane localization independent of endolysin function.

Conclusions:

  • Spanins are essential for the outer membrane rupture during Gram-negative bacteriophage lysis.
  • The proposed model suggests spanins disrupt the outer membrane, regulated by peptidoglycan status.
  • Spanins play a critical, previously uncharacterized role in the final stages of phage lysis.