Mutations of the coat protein gene of bacteriophage lambda that overcome the necessity for the Fl gene; the EFi domain

Molecular Microbiology
H Murialdo, D Tzamtzis

Abstract

The functions of most of the 10 genes involved in phage lambda capsid morphogenesis are well understood. The function of the FI gene is one of the exceptions. Mutants in FI fail to mature and package DNA. The gene product (gpFI) seems to act as a catalyst for the formation of an intermediate in capsid assembly called complex II, which contains a procapsid (an empty capsid precursor), terminase (the enzyme that cleaves the DNA precursor and packages it into the procapsid) and DNA. The mechanism for this stimulation remains unknown. It has also been reported that gpFI appeared to stimulate terminase-mediated cos cleavage, in the absence of procapsids, by increasing enzyme turnover. In comparison with other head-gene mutants, FI mutants are leaky, producing approx. 0.1 phage per infected cell. Some second-site revertants of FI- phages, called 'fin', that bypass the necessity for gpFI, have been isolated and found to harbour a mutation in the genes that code for the two subunits of terminase. In the course of mapping additional fin mutants, it was discovered that some mapped outside the terminase genes. To localize the mutations, restriction fragments of fin mutant DNAs were subcloned into plasmids and their ability to contribute t...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 5, 2007·Journal of Virology·Nelli J KarhuJaana K H Bamford
Sep 29, 2011·BMC Microbiology·Seesandra V RajagopalaPeter Uetz
May 6, 2016·PloS One·Choon Seok OhMichael Feiss
Apr 7, 2004·Molecular Microbiology·Jean Sippy, Michael Feiss
Dec 3, 1998·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·E EmondS Moineau

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