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J Virol. 1976 August; 19(2): 518-532

Morphogenesis of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis: preliminary isolation and characterization of intermediate particles of the assembly pathway.

ABSTRACT

Three classes of particles have been identified in restrictive phi 29 suppressor-sensitive (sus) mutant infections of Bacillus subtilis, including DNA-containing heads or phage, prohead, and empty heads. Pulse-chase labeling experiments indicate that the prohead, the first particle assembled in 14-infected cells, is converted to DNA-filled heads and phi 29. In addition to the proteins Hd, P10, and F found in mature phi 29, the prohead contains a "core" protein P7 that exits as the prohead matures and appears to recycle during subsequent rounds of prohead assembly. Prohead-like structures accumulate in UV-irradiated cells and are present in restrictive infections with sus mutants of cistrons 9 and 16. Empty heads are observed only when infection results in the formation of DNA-containing particles; this and other evidence indicates that the empty heads are probably not true intermediates. Phage phi 29 assembly apparently occurs by a single pathway in which neck and tail components interact to stabilize the completed DNA-containing head.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Meijer, W. J. J., Horcajadas, J. A., Salas, M. (2001). {phi}29 Family of Phages. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 65: 261-287 [Abstract] [Full Text]