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Related Concept Videos

DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

790
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...
790

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Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
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High-throughput screening reveals diverse lambdoid prophage inducers.

Gayatri Nair1, Rabia Fatima1, Alexander P Hynes1,2

  • 1Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

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|October 27, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Researchers screened 3,921 compounds to find new prophage (dormant virus) inducers. They discovered commonly ingested substances and bleomycin, a potent antibiotic, can awaken these viruses, expanding prophage research tools.

Keywords:
HK97ProzacSOS pathwayberberinebleomycinfluoxetineharmanehigh-throughputinductionmitomycin C

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Prophages are dormant bacteriophage genomes integrated into bacterial chromosomes.
  • Prophage activation, often leading to bacterial cell death, is crucial in shaping microbial communities.
  • Traditional prophage induction relies on DNA-damaging agents like mitomycin C, triggering the bacterial SOS response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel prophage inducers beyond traditional DNA-damaging agents.
  • To expand the understanding of compounds capable of activating dormant prophages.
  • To discover new tools for prophage research.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput screening of 3,921 compounds against the model lambdoid prophage HK97.
  • Utilizing a model phage-host system to identify compounds inducing prophage activation.
  • Validating findings across multiple phage-host pairings.

Main Results:

  • Identified multiple novel prophage inducers from diverse pharmacological classes, including dietary supplements and therapeutics.
  • All identified compounds induced prophage activation via SOS-dependent pathways.
  • Bleomycin demonstrated potent, broad-spectrum prophage induction, surpassing standard inducers.

Conclusions:

  • Commonly ingested xenobiotics can act as prophage inducers.
  • Bleomycin is a powerful and cost-effective agent for prophage induction and research.
  • This study expands the known repertoire of prophage-activating compounds.