This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tigges, M A Articles by Snustad, D P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tigges, M A Articles by Snustad, D P

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol. 1977 December; 24(3): 775-785

Slow switchover from host RNA synthesis to bacteriophage RNA synthesis after infection of Escherichia coli with a T4 mutant defective in the bacteriophage T4-induced unfolding of the host nucleoid.

ABSTRACT

Most, if not all, host RNA synthesis was shut off after infection of Escherichia coli strain B/5 with a bacteriophage T4 multiple mutant defective in the abilities to induce (i) unfolding of the host nucleoid (unf-), (ii) nuclear disruption (ndd-), and (iii) host DNA degradation (denA-, denB-). The shutoff of host RNA synthesis and turn-on of phage RNA synthesis were slower after infection of E. coli with unf- phage than after infection with unf+ phage. This delay in the switchover from host RNA synthesis to phage RNA synthesis in unf- infections did not result in a measurable delay in the onset of nuclear disruption, deoxyribonucleoside monophosphate kinase synthesis, or DNA synthesis. unf39 did not complement alc (allows late transcription on cytosine-containing DNA) mutants, supporting the proposal of Sirotkin et al. [Nature (London) 265:28-32, 1977] that alc and unf are possibly the same gene.