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Two infectious forms of bacteriophage phi X 174
Journal of Virology
|August 1, 1977
Summary
Researchers isolated two infectious bacteriophage phi chi 174 particles (114S and 132S). The larger 132S particle converts to the smaller 114S particle in vitro, but not in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Bacteriophage phi chi 174 is a well-studied model organism in molecular biology.
- Understanding bacteriophage structure and assembly is crucial for viral research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the infectious particles of bacteriophage phi chi 174.
- To investigate the relationship between different particle forms.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of bacteriophage particles using sedimentation (S values) and electron microscopy.
- In vitro conversion experiments.
- In vivo pulse-chase experiments to assess precursor-product relationships.
Main Results:
- Two distinct infectious particles, 114S and 132S, were isolated.
- The 132S particle is spherical (40 nm), while the 114S particle has projections (32 nm).
- 132S particles converted to 114S particles in vitro, but no in vivo precursor-product relationship was found.
Conclusions:
- Bacteriophage phi chi 174 exists in at least two distinct infectious particle forms.
- In vitro conversion suggests structural plasticity, but in vivo data indicate separate assembly or degradation pathways.