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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...
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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...
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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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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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Headful DNA packaging: bacteriophage SPP1 as a model system.

Leonor Oliveira1, Paulo Tavares, Juan C Alonso

  • 1Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, CNRS UPR3296 and IFR 115, Bâtiment 14B, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Leonor.oliveira@vms.cnrs-gif.fr

Virus Research
|February 20, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The Bacillus subtilis phage SPP1 uses a molecular motor to package DNA into its capsid. This process involves terminase enzymes recognizing a specific site and translocating the genome through a portal protein.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses utilize a sophisticated molecular motor for viral DNA packaging into the capsid.
  • This motor comprises portal proteins, large terminase subunits with ATPase activity, and small terminase subunits that identify viral packaging sites.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of DNA packaging in Bacillus subtilis phage SPP1 into a preformed procapsid.
  • To elucidate the role of the terminase and portal protein in the unidirectional headful packaging mechanism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on phage SPP1 DNA packaging.
  • Analysis of the molecular machinery involved in viral genome translocation.
  • Examination of the sequential steps in the encapsidation cycle.

Main Results:

  • SPP1 DNA packaging follows a processive, unidirectional headful mechanism initiated by terminase recognition and cleavage at the pac site.
  • DNA translocation occurs through the portal protein channel, with packaging termination by endonucleolytic cleavage.
  • The packaging motor disassembles, and gatekeepers close the portal to prevent genome leakage.

Conclusions:

  • The SPP1 DNA packaging process is a highly coordinated cycle involving precise molecular interactions.
  • Recent advancements offer new insights into the mechanisms governing viral DNA encapsidation.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending viral assembly and developing antiviral strategies.