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Related Concept Videos

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...
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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DNA replication has three main steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. Replication in prokaryotes begins when initiator proteins bind to the single origin of replication (ori) on the cell's circular chromosome. Replication then proceeds around the entire circle of the chromosome in each direction from the two replication forks, resulting in two DNA molecules.
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Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle01:20

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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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The Replisome03:01

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DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
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Chromosome Replication

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Before a cell can divide, it must accurately replicate all of its chromosomes, including the DNA and its associated histone and non-histone proteins.  This process begins at numerous origins of replication during the S phase of the cell cycle in each of a cell’s chromosomes simultaneously. Certain nucleotides can act as origins of replication, but these sequences are not well defined - especially in complex, multi-cellular, eukaryotic species. The length of DNA that spans an origin...
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Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
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Fine-tuned spatiotemporal dynamics of DNA replication during phage lambda infection.

Zihao Yu1,2, Jingwen Guan1,2, Catherine Hanson1

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

Journal of Virology
|October 31, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Bacteriophage lambda uses viral DNA replication dynamics, not just infection levels, to decide between lysis and lysogeny. Early DNA injection success and resource competition, rather than replication speed, influence this critical choice for phage survival.

Keywords:
Crobacteriophage lambdacell-fate decisionintegrationlysogenysingle cell

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Kinetics of Lagging-strand DNA Synthesis In Vitro by the Bacteriophage T7 Replication Proteins
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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Temperate bacteriophages like lambda make critical decisions between lytic (propagation) and lysogenic (dormancy) pathways.
  • Higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) favors lysogeny, but the precise role of viral DNA replication in this decision remains unclear.
  • Understanding these dynamics is key to deciphering virus-host interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively investigate the role of viral DNA replication in the lysis-lysogeny decision of bacteriophage lambda.
  • To elucidate how factors beyond MOI, such as DNA injection and replication resource competition, influence the phage's fate.
  • To explore novel replication patterns and integration kinetics during lysogenization.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a reporter system to visualize individual phage DNA copies and lysis-lysogeny outcomes.
  • Utilizing fluorescence microscopy for high-resolution, spatiotemporal tracking of viral DNA replication in individual cells.
  • Quantitative analysis of DNA injection synchronization, replication resource competition, and integration kinetics.

Main Results:

  • Intracellular viral DNA replication divergence between lytic and lysogenic pathways occurs early in infection.
  • Synchronization and success of DNA injection, along with competition for replication resources, are key factors, not solely replication rate.
  • Observed distinct replication patterns and heterogeneous integration kinetics during lysogenization.
  • Weak repression by Cro is crucial for optimal replication and stable lysogen formation.

Conclusions:

  • Viral DNA replication dynamics play a pivotal role in the lysis-lysogeny decision, diverging early in the infection cycle.
  • The phage separates MOI effects from DNA replication by prioritizing DNA injection efficiency and managing replication resource competition.
  • This study provides novel insights into temperate phage life cycles, replication strategies, and the establishment of lysogeny, highlighting the importance of the Cro protein.