A peptidoglycan hydrolase motif within the mycobacteriophage TM4 tape measure protein promotes efficient infection of stationary phase cells.

ABSTRACT: The predominant morphotype of mycobacteriophage virions has a DNA-containing capsid attached to a long flexible non-contractile tail, features characteristic of the Siphoviridae. Within these phage genomes the tape measure protein (tmp) gene can be readily identified due to the well-established relationship between the length of the gene and the length of the phage tail--because these phages typically have long tails, the tmp gene is usually the largest gene in the genome. Many of these mycobacteriophage Tmp's contain small motifs with sequence similarity to host proteins. One of these motifs (motif 1) corresponds to the Rpf proteins that have lysozyme activity and function to stimulate growth of dormant bacteria, while the others (motifs 2 and 3) are related to proteins of unknown functio

SUBMITTER: Piuri M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1796659 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature