Genetic studies on capsid-length determination in bacteriophage T4. II. Genetic evidence that specific protein-protein interactions are involved. 1982

D H Doherty

A bacteriophage T4 mutation (ptg19-80c) located in gene 23, which encodes the major structural protein of the T4 capsid, results in the production of capsids of abnormal length. Mutations outside gene 23 which partially suppress ptg19-80c have been described in the accompanying paper (D. H. Doherty, J. Virol. 43:641-654, 1982). Characterization of these suppressors was extended. A complementation test suggested that the suppressors were in genes 22 and 24. These genes coded for the major component of the morphogenetic core of the capsid precursor and the vertex protein of the capsid, respectively. The suppressor mutations were found to have no obvious phenotype in the absence of ptg19-80c. Suppression was shown to be allele specific: other ptg mutations at different sites in gene 23 were not suppressed by the suppressors of ptg19-80c. These results indicated that specific interactions among the three proteins gp22, gp23, and gp24 may play a role in the regulation of T4 capsid-length determination. Current models for capsid-length determination are considered in the light of these results.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009024 Morphogenesis The development of anatomical structures to create the form of a single- or multi-cell organism. Morphogenesis provides form changes of a part, parts, or the whole organism.
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
D011498 Protein Precursors Precursors, Protein
D002213 Capsid The outer protein protective shell of a virus, which protects the viral nucleic acid. Capsids are composed of repeating units (capsomers or capsomeres) of CAPSID PROTEINS which when assembled together form either an icosahedral or helical shape. Procapsid,Prohead,Capsids,Procapsids,Proheads
D005814 Genes, Viral The functional hereditary units of VIRUSES. Viral Genes,Gene, Viral,Viral Gene
D005816 Genetic Complementation Test A test used to determine whether or not complementation (compensation in the form of dominance) will occur in a cell with a given mutant phenotype when another mutant genome, encoding the same mutant phenotype, is introduced into that cell. Allelism Test,Cis Test,Cis-Trans Test,Complementation Test,Trans Test,Allelism Tests,Cis Tests,Cis Trans Test,Cis-Trans Tests,Complementation Test, Genetic,Complementation Tests,Complementation Tests, Genetic,Genetic Complementation Tests,Trans Tests
D013489 Suppression, Genetic Mutation process that restores the wild-type PHENOTYPE in an organism possessing a mutationally altered GENOTYPE. The second "suppressor" mutation may be on a different gene, on the same gene but located at a distance from the site of the primary mutation, or in extrachromosomal genes (EXTRACHROMOSOMAL INHERITANCE). Suppressor Mutation,Genetic Suppression,Genetic Suppressions,Mutation, Suppressor,Mutations, Suppressor,Suppressions, Genetic,Suppressor Mutations
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

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