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Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle01:16

Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle

The lysogenic cycle is a crucial viral replication strategy that allows bacteriophages to persist within host cells without immediately destroying them. This process is primarily observed in temperate phages, such as bacteriophage lambda (λ), which infects Escherichia coli. The cycle allows the viral genome to persist across bacterial generations while keeping host cells viable.Integration of the Viral GenomeUpon infection, bacteriophage lambda attaches to the bacterial surface and injects its...
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

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...
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...
Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle01:20

Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle

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...
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages

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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Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
09:40

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

Viral host-adaptation: insights from evolution experiments with phages.

James P J Hall1, Ellie Harrison, Michael A Brockhurst

  • 1Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.

Current Opinion in Virology
|July 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria. Studying phage adaptation reveals how viruses evolve, showing parallel evolution in stable environments and host-range expansion in dynamic ones.

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Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria.
  • Phages share characteristics with pathogenic viruses, making them model systems for studying viral evolution.
  • Understanding phage host-adaptation is crucial for various biological and medical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate phage adaptation mechanisms.
  • To explore the evolutionary trajectories of phages in different host environments.
  • To understand the genetic and phenotypic changes associated with phage host-range expansion.

Main Methods:

  • Empirical modeling using bacteriophages as a model system.
  • Observing phage adaptation to specific host genotypes.
  • Analyzing phage adaptation to evolving host populations.
  • Investigating stepwise evolution and mutational constraints.

Main Results:

  • Phage adaptation to static host genotypes often results in parallel evolution and improved fitness.
  • Adaptation to evolving host populations leads to increased phage host-range over time.
  • Phage populations exhibit correlated phenotypic and genetic divergence.
  • Host-range expansion is a stepwise process influenced by mutations, costs, and ecology.

Conclusions:

  • Phages provide a tractable model for understanding fundamental viral evolution and host-adaptation.
  • The evolutionary path of phages differs significantly based on host population dynamics.
  • Host-range expansion in phages is a complex process constrained by multiple factors.