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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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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...
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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...
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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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Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
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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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Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
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Lysis-lysogeny coexistence: prophage integration during lytic development.

Qiuyan Shao1,2, Jimmy T Trinh1,2, Colby S McIntosh1

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

Microbiologyopen
|August 18, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Bacteriophage lambda infecting E. coli can exhibit a "lyso-lysis" pathway, where phage DNA integrates into the host before cell lysis. This phenomenon is influenced by phage numbers and CII activity, revealing a more complex infection strategy.

Keywords:
Escherichia coliDNA labelingbacteriophage lambdacellular decision-makinglysis-lysogenyprophage integration

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Bacteriophage lambda infection of Escherichia coli involves a choice between lytic and lysogenic pathways.
  • The lysis-lysogeny decision is traditionally viewed as mutually exclusive but is increasingly understood to be more complex.
  • Studying this intricate decision requires high-resolution methods to observe phage-host interactions in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the complex lysis-lysogeny decision in bacteriophage lambda infections.
  • To visualize and analyze the dynamics of phage and host DNA during infection using a novel reporter system.
  • To identify and characterize novel infection pathways beyond the traditional lytic and lysogenic routes.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel fluorescent reporter system to label single phage lambda and E. coli DNAs.
  • In vivo visualization of DNA movements during bacteriophage infection.
  • Quantitative analysis of phage DNA integration and host cell lysis.

Main Results:

  • A novel "lyso-lysis" phenomenon was frequently observed in lytic cells, involving phage DNA integration followed by cell lysis.
  • The frequency of lyso-lysis increased with the number of infecting phages and was specifically correlated with CII activity.
  • In lytic cells, the E. coli attB integration site migrated towards the cell pole, increasing spatial overlap and colocalization with phage DNA.

Conclusions:

  • The lysis-lysogeny decision in bacteriophage lambda infection is more nuanced than previously thought, with a distinct "lyso-lysis" pathway.
  • Phage-host DNA interactions, including the spatial dynamics of the attB site, play a crucial role in facilitating integration during the lytic cycle.
  • CII activity and phage multiplicity are key factors modulating the occurrence of the lyso-lysis pathway, offering new insights into viral propagation strategies.