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Replication of coliphage M-13. I. Effects on host cells after synchronized infection
Abstract:
Techniques have been described for synchronization of bacteriophage M-13 infection of host cells. The latent period in infected cells was 10 min, and no appreciable number of intracellular phage was observed. Phage production proceeded in three phases after release of the starvation block: an initial rapid exponential rate of progeny phage release without cell lysis, a period of rate transition accompanying the resumption of host cell division, and a second, slower exponential rate of phage production which paralleled the rate of host cell division. The size of infected cells was not affected by infection, but the generation time was increased by 25%. Starved infected cells exhibited a much longer lag in attaining an exponential rate of growth upon the addition of nutrients than did an uninfected control culture.
Insights
Synchronization of bacteriophage M-13 infection in host cells was achieved. Phage production occurred in three distinct phases, with infected cells showing increased generation time and a longer lag in growth recovery.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Bacteriophage M-13 is a filamentous phage that infects specific bacterial hosts.
- Understanding phage-host interactions is crucial for molecular biology and biotechnology.
- Synchronization of phage infection allows for precise study of the viral life cycle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe techniques for synchronizing bacteriophage M-13 infection in host cells.
- To characterize the kinetics of phage production following synchronized infection.
- To investigate the impact of phage infection on host cell physiology.
Main Methods:
- Synchronization of bacteriophage M-13 infection using a starvation-refeeding protocol.
- Measurement of intracellular and extracellular phage particles.
- Monitoring of host cell growth parameters (size, generation time, lag phase).
Main Results:
- A latent period of 10 minutes was observed with no significant intracellular phage accumulation.
- Phage production occurred in three phases: rapid exponential release, transition phase with cell division, and slower exponential release.
- Infected cells showed a 25% increase in generation time and a prolonged lag phase upon nutrient addition compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Synchronized bacteriophage M-13 infection enables detailed analysis of phage production dynamics.
- Phage infection significantly impacts host cell division and recovery.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of phage-host interactions and viral replication strategies.