Cloning, sequencing, and expression of bacteriophage BF23 late genes 24 and 25 encoding tail proteins

Two bacteriophage BF23 late genes, genes 24 and 25, were isolated on a 7.4-kb PstI fragment from the phage DNA, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Gene 24 encodes a minor tail protein with the expected M(r) of 34,309, and gene 25 located 4 bp upstream of gene 24 encodes a major tail protein with the expected M(r) of 50,329. When total cellular RNA isolated from either phage-infected cells or cells bearing the cloned genes was analyzed by the primer extension method using the primers specific to either gene 25 or gene 24, we identified a possible late gene promoter, designated P25, in the 5'-flanking region of gene 25. This promoter was similar in structure to Escherichia coli promoters for sigma 70. Studies of the translational gene 25- and gene 24-lacZ fusions in the cloned gene system revealed that the promoter P25 was responsible for the expression of both genes 25 and 24 even in the absence of the regulatory genes which were absolutely required for late gene expression in the normal phage-infected cells. These results indicate that the two genes constitute an operon under the control of P25 and that the regulatory gene products of BF23 do not participate directly in specifying the late gene promoter.