Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
06:10

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda

Published on: October 14, 2011

24.3K

Locating and Activating Molecular 'Time Bombs': Induction of Mycolata Prophages

Zoe A Dyson1, Teagan L Brown1, Ben Farrar1

  • 1La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, Bendigo, VIC, Australia.

Plos One
|August 4, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This study investigated temperate phages in Mycolata bacteria. Researchers successfully induced and characterized three novel temperate phages (GAL1, GMA1, TPA4), revealing their potential for biological control applications.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Temperate phages' roles in Mycolata (mycolic acid-producing bacteria) remain largely unknown.
  • While lytic phages are studied for biological control of sludge foaming, temperate phage induction is unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and potential induction of temperate phages in Mycolata.
  • To characterize novel temperate phages isolated from Mycolata species.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis using PHAge Search Tool (PHAST) on Mycolata genomes.
  • Prophage induction experiments using mitomycin C on 17 Mycolata strains.
  • Genome sequencing and characterization of isolated phages.

Main Results:

  • 83% of analyzed Mycolata genomes contained putative prophage DNA.
  • Three novel Caudovirales temperate phages (GAL1, GMA1, TPA4) were successfully induced and isolated.
  • The isolated phages (GAL1, GMA1, TPA4) possess distinct double-stranded DNA genomes.

Conclusions:

  • Temperate phages are prevalent in Mycolata, with significant potential for induction.
  • Novel temperate phages were discovered, expanding the known phage diversity within this bacterial group.
  • These findings lay the groundwork for exploring temperate phages as biological control agents.

More Related Videos

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics09:23

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

Published on: January 5, 2024

2.7K
Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi09:01

Phage-Mediated Genetic Manipulation of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

Published on: September 28, 2022

2.8K

Related Concept Videos

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...
69.1K
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...
2.2K
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...
1.3K
Transduction01:16

Transduction

Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome...
2.4K
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
62.4K
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...
2.3K