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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

T4 Bacteriophage and E. coli Interaction in the Murine Intestine: A Prototypical Model for Studying Host-Bacteriophage Dynamics In Vivo

T4 Bacteriophage and E. coli Interaction in the Murine Intestine: A Prototypical Model for Studying Host-Bacteriophage Dynamics In Vivo

Published on: January 26, 2024

Cryo-EM structures of phage T4 infection intermediate.

Qianqian Shao¹, Junhua Dong², Aohan Wang¹

¹School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Journal of Molecular Biology

|July 4, 2026

Summary

We revealed the structure of a key intermediate in myophage T4 infection, uncovering how its tail machinery delivers viral DNA into host cells. This provides new insights into bacteriophage genome delivery mechanisms.

Keywords:

Bacteriophage T4 cryo-EM genome delivery tape-measure protein virus-host interaction

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T4 Bacteriophage and E. coli Interaction in the Murine Intestine: A Prototypical Model for Studying Host-Bacteriophage Dynamics In Vivo

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Area of Science:

Structural biology
Molecular biology
Virology

Background:

Bacteriophages, like myophage T4, possess complex contractile tails for host infection.
Mechanisms of host recognition, signal transduction, and genome delivery by myophages are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the structural mechanisms underlying myophage T4 genome delivery.
To characterize a pre-genome-release intermediate of myophage T4.

Main Methods:

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was used to determine the structure of the myophage T4 intermediate.
Comparative structural analysis was performed between different T4 virion states.

Main Results:

The structure of a tail-contracted, pre-genome-release intermediate was determined.
Structural transitions in the tail, tape-measure protein (TMP), baseplate, and long tail fibers were identified.
Tail sheath contraction was found to be coupled with repositioning of the viral DNA-TMP complex, facilitating genome translocation.

Conclusions:

The study reveals key structural dynamics driving myophage T4 genome delivery.
Expelled TMP may form a transmembrane complex to aid genome translocation into the host cytosol.
Findings advance understanding of bacteriophage infection machinery and DNA delivery processes.