Characterization of the initial steps in the T7 DNA ejection process.

ABSTRACT: A specialized complex, the tail, is the most common strategy employed by bacterial viruses to deliver their genome without disrupting cell integrity. T7 has a short, non-contractile tail formed by a tubular structure surrounded by fibers. Recent studies showed that incubation of the virus with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS) resulted in complete delivery of the viral genome, demonstrating for the first time that LPS are the T7 receptor. Further screening of the bacterial envelope for proteinaceous compounds that affect T7 ejection showed that porins OmpA and OmpF affect viral particle adsorption and infection kinetics, suggesting that these proteins play a role in the first steps of virus-host interaction. Comparison of the structures before and after ejection showed the

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Garcia VA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4589982 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature