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Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages

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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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Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

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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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Phosphorylation01:02

Phosphorylation

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The addition or removal of phosphate groups from proteins is the most common chemical modification that regulates cellular processes. These modifications can affect the structure, activity, stability, and localization of proteins within cells as well as their interactions with other proteins.
During phosphorylation, protein kinases transfer the terminal phosphate group of ATP to specific amino acid side chains of substrate proteins. Serine, threonine, and tyrosine are the most commonly...
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The function of proteins depends on their native three-dimensional structure, which is dictated by the amino acid sequence of the specific protein. Folding of the polypeptide chain takes place under specific conditions that energetically favor the folded conformation. In contrast, protein denaturation occurs spontaneously under unfavorable conditions that disrupt the integrity of the folded conformation. Thus, the chemical and physical environment of a protein, such as significant changes in pH...
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Protein Kinases and Phosphatases

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Proteins undergo chemical modifications that trigger changes in the charge, structure, and conformation of the proteins. Phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, nitrosylation, ubiquitination, lipidation, methylation, and proteolysis are various protein modifications that regulate protein activity. Such modifications are usually enzyme-driven.
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This lesson defines the leveling effect in acidic and basic solutions and its role in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. It is essential to understand the competing nature of various species in a chemical system.
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Measuring Phagosome pH by Ratiometric Fluorescence Microscopy
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Acidic polymers reversibly deactivate phages due to pH changes.

Huba L Marton1, Antonia P Sagona2, Peter Kilbride3

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL UK matt.gibson@manchester.ac.uk +44 247 652 4112.

RSC Applied Polymers
|August 26, 2024
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Poly(acrylic acid) can inhibit bacteriophages by lowering pH, but the effect is reversible. Unlike HCl, the polymer

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria, posing challenges in commercial cultures and therapeutic applications.
  • Poly(carboxylic acids) show potential as phage inhibitors by interfering with bacterial infection.
  • The precise mechanism and limitations of poly(carboxylic acid)s as phage inhibitors remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of pH in phage inactivation by poly(carboxylic acids).
  • To determine if the inhibitory effects of poly(carboxylic acids) are solely due to acidity.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of action and limitations of poly(acrylic acid) as a phage inhibitor.

Main Methods:

  • Testing the inhibitory activity of poly(acrylic acid) and HCl on a panel of phages across different pH levels.
  • Comparing the effects of pH changes induced by poly(acrylic acid) versus HCl on phage infectivity.
  • Utilizing metal binders to rule out ion depletion as a mechanism of inhibition.

Main Results:

  • Lowered pH (around 3), whether induced by poly(acrylic acid) or HCl, inhibits phage infectivity.
  • Poly(acrylic acid) causes reversible phage deactivation, while HCl at the same pH causes irreversible inactivation.
  • Ion depletion was ruled out as the mode of action for poly(acrylic acid).

Conclusions:

  • The inhibitory effect of poly(acrylic acid) on phages is not solely attributable to pH changes.
  • Poly(acrylic acid) may employ unique mechanisms for phage inhibition, distinct from simple acidification.
  • The findings highlight constraints on the practical application of poly(acrylic acid) as a phage control agent due to reversible inactivation and pH dependence.