Phage head assembly in bacteriophage T1. 1984

N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie

Phage-related structures found in wild-type and mutant T1 infections were examined by sedimentation analysis, electron microscopy, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Phage-particle polypeptides P7 (molecular weight 33,000) and P11 (molecular weight 16,000) were identified as major head proteins and P10 (molecular weight 26,000) was shown to be the major tail protein. A DNA-free head-like structure containing P7 but not P11 was present in wild-type and a number of mutant infections. In view of its possible role as a precursor to mature heads, this structure was termed the prohead. Mutants in two genes, am10 (gene 13) and am45 (gene 14), synthesised only tails in nonpermissive infections. Mutants in eight of the head genes, am23 (gene 4), am283 (gene 13.3), am216 (gene 13.7), ts257 (gene 14.5), am11 (gene 15), am4 (gene 16), am7 (gene 17), and am30 (gene 18), synthesised proheads and tails but not other structures. am37 (gene 12) synthesised proheads, tails, and empty heads. Studies with a tail-defective mutant suggested that empty heads were produced from the breakdown of DNA-filled heads. P11, the T1 gene 13.3 product, is analogous to the phage lambda gene D protein: both are major capsid proteins which appear to stabilise the later stages of head filling. These data are reviewed according to the general principles established for phage-head assembly and a tentative pathway for T1-head assembly is proposed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008854 Microscopy, Electron Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen. Electron Microscopy
D008970 Molecular Weight The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule. Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D004591 Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis in which a polyacrylamide gel is used as the diffusion medium. Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis,SDS-PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGE,Gel Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide,SDS PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGEs
D013604 T-Phages A series of 7 virulent phages which infect E. coli. The T-even phages T2, T4; (BACTERIOPHAGE T4), and T6, and the phage T5 are called "autonomously virulent" because they cause cessation of all bacterial metabolism on infection. Phages T1, T3; (BACTERIOPHAGE T3), and T7; (BACTERIOPHAGE T7) are called "dependent virulent" because they depend on continued bacterial metabolism during the lytic cycle. The T-even phages contain 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in place of ordinary cytosine in their DNA. Bacteriophages T,Coliphages T,Phages T,T Phages,T-Phage
D014764 Viral Proteins Proteins found in any species of virus. Gene Products, Viral,Viral Gene Products,Viral Gene Proteins,Viral Protein,Protein, Viral,Proteins, Viral

Related Publications

N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
August 1976, Polski tygodnik lekarski (Warsaw, Poland : 1960),
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
March 1996, Virology,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
August 1995, FEMS microbiology reviews,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
May 1973, Journal of molecular biology,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
January 1976, Molekuliarnaia biologiia,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
January 1975, Journal of molecular biology,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
April 1995, Journal of molecular biology,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
January 1998, Advances in virus research,
N Ramsay, and D A Ritchie
December 2010, Virology journal,
Copied contents to your clipboard!