ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES ACTIVE AGAINST STALKED BACTERIA

Physiological characterization of single-gene lysis proteins

Single-strand RNA (ssRNA) and single-strand DNA phages elicit host lysis using a single gene, in each case designated as sgl. Of the 11 identified Sgls, three have been shown to be specific inhibitors of different steps in the pathway that supplies lipid II to the peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis machinery. These Sgls have been called "protein antibiotics" because the lytic event is a septal catastrophe indistinguishable from that caused by cell wall antibiotics. Here, we designate these as type I Sgls. In this formalism, the other eight Sgls are assigned to type II, the best-studied of which is protein L of the paradigm F-specific ssRNA phage MS2. Comparisons have suggested that type II Sgls have four sequence elements distinguished by hydrophobic and polar character. Environmental metatranscriptomics has revealed thousands of new ssRNA phage genomes, each of which presumably has an Sgl. Here, we describe methods to distinguish type I and type II Sgls. Using phase contrast microscopy, we show that both classes of Sgls cause the formation of blebs prior to lysis, but the location of the blebs differs significantly. In addition, we show that L and other type II Sgls do not inhibit the net synthesis of PG, as measured by radio-labeling of PG. Finally, we provide direct evidence that the Sgl from Pseudomonas phage PP7 is a type I Sgl, in support of a recent report based on a genetic selection. This shows that the putative four-element sequence structure suggested for L is not a reliable discriminator for the operational characterization of Sgls.

IMPORTANCE

The ssRNA phage world has recently undergone a metagenomic expansion upward of a thousandfold. Each genome likely carries at least one single-gene lysis (sgl) cistron encoding a protein that single-handedly induces host autolysis. Here, we initiate an approach to segregate the Sgls into operational types based on physiological analysis, as a first step toward the alluring goal of finding many new ways to induce bacterial death and the attendant expectations for new antibiotic development.

Recent Advances in Structural Studies of Single-Stranded RNA Bacteriophages

Positive-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) bacteriophages (phages) were first isolated six decades ago. Since then, extensive research has been conducted on these ssRNA phages, particularly those infecting E. coli. With small genomes of typically 3-4 kb that usually encode four essential proteins, ssRNA phages employ a straightforward infectious cycle involving host adsorption, genome entry, genome replication, phage assembly, and host lysis. Recent advancements in metagenomics and transcriptomics have led to the identification of ~65,000 sequences from ssRNA phages, expanding our understanding of their prevalence and potential hosts. This review article illuminates significant investigations into ssRNA phages, with a focal point on their structural aspects, providing insights into the various stages of their infectious cycle.

The Outer Membrane Cytochrome OmcA Is Essential for Infection of Shewanella oneidensis by a Zebrafish-Associated Bacteriophage

The microbiota-the mixture of microorganisms in the intestinal tract of animals-plays an important role in host biology. Bacteriophages are a prominent, though often overlooked, component of the microbiota. The mechanisms that phage use to infect susceptible cells associated with animal hosts, and the broader role they could play in determining the substituents of the microbiota, are poorly understood. In this study, we isolated a zebrafish-associated bacteriophage, which we named Shewanella phage FishSpeaker. This phage infects Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, which cannot colonize zebrafish, but it is unable to infect Shewanella xiamenensis strain FH-1, a strain isolated from the zebrafish gut. Our data suggest that FishSpeaker uses the outer membrane decaheme cytochrome OmcA, which is an accessory component of the extracellular electron transfer (EET) pathway in S. oneidensis, as well as the flagellum to recognize and infect susceptible cells. In a zebrafish colony that lacks detectable FishSpeaker, we found that most Shewanella spp. are sensitive to infection and that some strains are resistant to infection. Our results suggest that phage could act as a selectivity filter for zebrafish-associated Shewanella and show that the EET machinery can be targeted by phage in the environment. IMPORTANCE Phage exert selective pressure on bacteria that influences and shapes the composition of microbial populations. However, there is a lack of native, experimentally tractable systems for studying how phage influence microbial population dynamics in complex communities. Here, we show that a zebrafish-associated phage requires both the outer membrane-associated extracellular electron transfer protein OmcA and the flagellum to infect Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1. Our results suggest that the newly discovered phage-FishSpeaker-could exert selective pressure that restricts which Shewanella spp. colonize zebrafish. Moreover, the requirement of OmcA for infection by FishSpeaker suggests that the phage preferentially infects cells that are oxygen limited, a condition required for OmcA expression and an ecological feature of the zebrafish gut.

Diversity, evolution and life strategies of CbK-like phages

Caulobacter phage CbK has been extensively studied as a model system in virology and bacteriology. Lysogeny-related genes have been found in each CbK-like isolate, suggesting a life strategy of both lytic and lysogenic cycles. However, whether CbK-related phages can enter lysogeny is still undetermined. This study identified new CbK-like sequences and expanded the collection of CbK-related phages. A common ancestry with a temperate lifestyle was predicted for the group, however, which subsequently evolved into two clades of different genome sizes and host associations. Through the examination of phage recombinase genes, alignment of attachment sites on the phage and bacterial genomes (attP-attB pairing), and the experimental validation, different lifestyles were found among the different members. A majority of clade II members retain a lysogenic lifestyle, whereas all clade I members have evolved into an obligate lytic lifestyle via a loss of the gene encoding Cre-like recombinase and the coupled attP fragment. We postulated that the loss of lysogeny may be a by-product of the increase in phage genome size, and vice versa. Clade I is likely to overcome the costs through maintaining more auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), particularly for those involved in protein metabolism, to strengthen host takeover and further benefit virion production.

Living in a Puddle of Mud: Isolation and Characterization of Two Novel Caulobacteraceae Strains Brevundimonas pondensis sp. nov. and Brevundimonas goettingensis sp. nov

Brevundimonas is a genus of freshwater bacteria belonging to the family Caulobacteraceae. The present study describes two novel species of the genus Brevundimonas (LVF1T and LVF2T). Both were genomically, morphologically, and physiologically characterized. Average nucleotide identity analysis revealed both are unique among known Brevundimonas strains. In silico and additional ProphageSeq analyses resulted in two prophages in the LVF1T genome and a remnant prophage in the LVF2T genome. Bacterial LVF1T cells form an elliptical morphotype, in average 1 µm in length and 0.46 µm in width, with a single flagellum. LVF2T revealed motile cells approximately 1.6 µm in length and 0.6 µm in width with a single flagellum, and sessile cell types 1.3 µm in length and 0.6 µm in width. Both are Gram-negative, aerobic, have optimal growth at 30 °C (up to 0.5 to 1% NaCl). Both are resistant towards erythromycin, meropenem, streptomycin, tetracycline and vancomycin. Anaerobic growth was observed after 14 days for LVF1T only. For LVF1T the name Brevundimonas pondensis sp. nov. and for LVF2T the name Brevundimonas goettingensis sp. nov. are proposed. Type strains are LVF1T (=DSM 112304T = CCUG 74982T = LMG 32096T) and LVF2T (=DSM 112305T = CCUG 74983T = LMG 32097T).

Flagellar Structures from the Bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and Implications for Phage CbK Predation of Multiflagellin Bacteria

Caulobacter crescentus is a Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium that commonly lives in oligotrophic fresh- and saltwater environments. C. crescentus is a host to many bacteriophages, including ϕCbK and ϕCbK-like bacteriophages, which require interaction with the bacterial flagellum and pilus complexes during adsorption. It is commonly thought that the six paralogs of the flagellin gene present in C. crescentus are important for bacteriophage evasion. Here, we show that deletion of specific flagellins in C. crescentus can indeed attenuate ϕCbK adsorption efficiency, although no single deletion completely ablates ϕCbK adsorption. Thus, the bacteriophage ϕCbK likely recognizes a common motif among the six known flagellins in C. crescentus with various degrees of efficiency. Interestingly, we observe that most deletion strains still generate flagellar filaments, with the exception of a strain that contains only the most divergent flagellin, FljJ, or a strain that contains only FljN and FljO. To visualize the surface residues that are likely recognized by ϕCbK, we determined two high-resolution structures of the FljK filament, with and without an amino acid substitution that induces straightening of the filament. We observe posttranslational modifications on conserved surface threonine residues of FljK that are likely O-linked glycans. The possibility of interplay between these modifications and ϕCbK adsorption is discussed. We also determined the structure of a filament composed of a heterogeneous mixture of FljK and FljL, the final resolution of which was limited to approximately 4.6 Å. Altogether, this work builds a platform for future investigations of how phage ϕCbK infects C. crescentus at the molecular level.IMPORTANCE Bacterial flagellar filaments serve as an initial attachment point for many bacteriophages to bacteria. Some bacteria harbor numerous flagellin genes and are therefore able to generate flagellar filaments with complex compositions, which is thought to be important for evasion from bacteriophages. This study characterizes the importance of the six flagellin genes in C. crescentus for infection by bacteriophage ϕCbK. We find that filaments containing the FljK flagellin are the preferred substrate for bacteriophage ϕCbK. We also present a high-resolution structure of a flagellar filament containing only the FljK flagellin, which provides a platform for future studies on determining how bacteriophage ϕCbK attaches to flagellar filaments at the molecular level.

Bacteriophage Therapy of Bacterial Infections: The Rediscovered Frontier

Antibiotic-resistant infections present a serious health concern worldwide. It is estimated that there are 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections and 35,000 deaths in the United States every year. Such microorganisms include Acinetobacter, Enterobacterioceae, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Mycobacterium. Alternative treatment methods are, thus, necessary to treat such infections. Bacteriophages are viruses of bacteria. In a lytic infection, the newly formed phage particles lyse the bacterium and continue to infect other bacteria. In the early 20th century, d'Herelle, Bruynoghe and Maisin used bacterium-specific phages to treat bacterial infections. Bacteriophages are being identified, purified and developed as pharmaceutically acceptable macromolecular "drugs," undergoing strict quality control. Phages can be applied topically or delivered by inhalation, orally or parenterally. Some of the major drug-resistant infections that are potential targets of pharmaceutically prepared phages are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Acinetobacter baumannii.

ssRNA phage penetration triggers detachment of the F-pilus

Although the F-specific ssRNA phage MS2 has long had paradigm status, little is known about penetration of the genomic RNA (gRNA) into the cell. The phage initially binds to the F-pilus using its maturation protein (Mat), and then the Mat-bound gRNA is released from the viral capsid and somehow crosses the bacterial envelope into the cytoplasm. To address the mechanics of this process, we fluorescently labeled the ssRNA phage MS2 to track F-pilus dynamics during infection. We discovered that ssRNA phage infection triggers the release of F-pili from host cells, and that higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) correlates with detachment of longer F-pili. We also report that entry of gRNA into the host cytoplasm requires the F-plasmid-encoded coupling protein, TraD, which is located at the cytoplasmic entrance of the F-encoded type IV secretion system (T4SS). However, TraD is not essential for pilus detachment, indicating that detachment is triggered by an early step of MS2 engagement with the F-pilus or T4SS. We propose a multistep model in which the ssRNA phage binds to the F-pilus and through pilus retraction engages with the distal end of the T4SS channel at the cell surface. Continued pilus retraction pulls the Mat-gRNA complex out of the virion into the T4SS channel, causing a torsional stress that breaks the mature F-pilus at the cell surface. We propose that phage-induced disruptions of F-pilus dynamics provides a selective advantage for infecting phages and thus may be prevalent among the phages specific for retractile pili.

Characterization of Flagellotropic, Chi-Like Salmonella Phages Isolated from Thai Poultry Farms

Despite a wealth of knowledge on Salmonella phages worldwide, little is known about poultry-associated Salmonella phages from Thailand. Here, we isolated 108 phages from Thai poultry farms that infect Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Phages STm101 and STm118 were identified as temperate Siphoviridae phages. Genome sequencing and analyses revealed these phages share approximately 96% nucleotide sequence similarity to phage SPN19, a member of the Chi-like virus genus. PCR amplification of the gene encoding capsid protein E of the Chi-like phage was positive for 50% of phage isolates, suggesting a predominance of this phage type among the sampled poultry farms. In addition to the flagella, two phages required the lipopolysaccharide to infect and lyse Salmonella. Furthermore, phylogenomic analysis demonstrated that phages STm101 and STm118 formed a monophyletic clade with phages isolated from Western countries, but not from closer isolated phages from Korea. However, further investigation and more phage isolates are required to investigate possible causes for this geographic distribution.

Protein-RNA Interactions in the Single-Stranded RNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages of the Leviviridae family are small viruses with short single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genomes. Protein-RNA interactions play a key role throughout the phage life cycle, and all of the conserved phage proteins - the maturation protein, the coat protein and the replicase - are able to recognize specific structures in the RNA genome. The phage-coded replicase subunit associates with several host proteins to form a catalytically active complex. Recognition of the genomic RNA by the replicase complex is achieved in a remarkably complex manner that exploits the RNA-binding properties of host proteins and the particular three-dimensional structure of the phage genome. The coat protein recognizes a hairpin structure at the beginning of the replicase gene. The binding interaction serves to regulate the expression of the replicase gene and can be remarkably different in various ssRNA phages. The maturation protein is a minor structural component of the virion that binds to the genome, mediates attachment to the host and guides the genome into the cell. The maturation protein has two distinct RNA-binding surfaces that are in contact with different regions of the genome. The maturation and coat proteins also work together to ensure the encapsidation of the phage genome in new virus particles. In this chapter, the different ssRNA phage protein-RNA interactions, as well as some of their practical applications, are discussed in detail.

The Caulobacter crescentus phage phiCbK: genomics of a canonical phage

Background

The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus is a popular model for the study of cell cycle regulation and senescence. The large prolate siphophage phiCbK has been an important tool in C. crescentus biology, and has been studied in its own right as a model for viral morphogenesis. Although a system of some interest, to date little genomic information is available on phiCbK or its relatives.

Results

Five novel phiCbK-like C. crescentus bacteriophages, CcrMagneto, CcrSwift, CcrKarma, CcrRogue and CcrColossus, were isolated from the environment. The genomes of phage phiCbK and these five environmental phage isolates were obtained by 454 pyrosequencing. The phiCbK-like phage genomes range in size from 205 kb encoding 318 proteins (phiCbK) to 280 kb encoding 448 proteins (CcrColossus), and were found to contain nonpermuted terminal redundancies of 10 to 17 kb. A novel method of terminal ligation was developed to map genomic termini, which confirmed termini predicted by coverage analysis. This suggests that sequence coverage discontinuities may be useable as predictors of genomic termini in phage genomes. Genomic modules encoding virion morphogenesis, lysis and DNA replication proteins were identified. The phiCbK-like phages were also found to encode a number of intriguing proteins; all contain a clearly T7-like DNA polymerase, and five of the six encode a possible homolog of the C. crescentus cell cycle regulator GcrA, which may allow the phage to alter the host cell’s replicative state. The structural proteome of phage phiCbK was determined, identifying the portal, major and minor capsid proteins, the tail tape measure and possible tail fiber proteins. All six phage genomes are clearly related; phiCbK, CcrMagneto, CcrSwift, CcrKarma and CcrRogue form a group related at the DNA level, while CcrColossus is more diverged but retains significant similarity at the protein level.

Conclusions

Due to their lack of any apparent relationship to other described phages, this group is proposed as the founding cohort of a new phage type, the phiCbK-like phages. This work will serve as a foundation for future studies on morphogenesis, infection and phage-host interactions in C. crescentus.

Alternative mechanism for bacteriophage adsorption to the motile bacterium Caulobacter crescentus

2D and 3D cryo-electron microscopy, together with adsorption kinetics assays of Cb13 and CbK phage-infected Caulobacter crescentus, provides insight into the mechanisms of infection. Cb13 and CbK actively interact with the flagellum and subsequently attach to receptors on the cell pole. We present evidence that the first interaction of the phage with the bacterial flagellum takes place through a filament on the phage head. This contact with the flagellum facilitates concentration of phage particles around the receptor (i.e., the pilus portals) on the bacterial cell surface, thereby increasing the likelihood of infection. Phage head filaments have not been well characterized and their function is described here. Phage head filaments may systematically underlie the initial interactions of phages with their hosts in other systems and possibly represent a widespread mechanism of efficient phage propagation.

Genome structure of caulobacter phage phiCb5

The complete genome sequence of caulobacter phage phiCb5 has been determined, and four open reading frames (ORFs) have been identified and characterized. As for related phages, the ORFs code for maturation, coat, replicase, and lysis proteins, but unlike other Leviviridae members, the lysis protein gene of phiCb5 entirely overlaps with the replicase in a different reading frame. The lysis protein of phiCb5 is about two times longer than that of the distantly related MS2 phage and presumably contains two transmembrane helices. Analysis of the proposed genome secondary structure revealed a stable 5' stem-loop, similar to other phages, and a substantially shorter 3' untranslated region (UTR) structure with only three stem-loops.

Identification and cell cycle control of a novel pilus system in Caulobacter crescentus

Pilus assembly in CAULOBACTER: crescentus occurs during a short period of the cell cycle and pili are only present at the flagellar pole of the swarmer cell. Here we report a novel assay to visualize pili by light microscopy that led to the purification of CAULOBACTER: pili and the isolation of a cluster of seven genes, including the major pilin subunit gene pilA. This gene cluster encodes a novel group of pilus assembly proteins. We have shown that the pilA promoter is activated late in the cell cycle and that transcription of the pilin subunit plays an important role in the timing of pilus assembly. pilA transcription is regulated by the global two-component response regulator CtrA, which is essential for the expression of multiple cell cycle events, providing a direct link between assembly of the pilus organelle and bacterial cell cycle control.

Biology of Borrelia species

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Bacteriophage in the Ixodes dammini spirochete, etiological agent of Lyme disease

A bacteriophage with a B-3 morphology was detected by electron microscopy in a spirochete isolated from the tick Ixodes dammini. It has a 40- to 50-nm elongated head and a tail 50 to 70 nm in length. It appears devoid of collars or kite-tail structure. The spirochete has been identified as the causative agent of Lyme disease.

The caulobacters: ubiquitous unusual bacteria

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Pilus-dependent, double-stranded DNA bacteriophage for Caulobacter

Caulobacter phage phi 6, previously reported to adsorb specifically to bacterial flagella, was shown here to attach to pili more frequently than to flagella. Phage phi 6 was shown to contain double-stranded DNA by circular dichroism spectroscopy and thermal denaturation accompanied by a hyperchromic shift at 260 nm. Morphologically, phage phi 6 fits group B2 (H.-W. Ackermann, in A. I. Laskin and H. A. Lechevalier, ed., Handbook of Microbiology, vol. 1, p. 638-643, 1973) with a long, noncontractile tail and an elongate head. Pilus-less mutants of the host Caulobacter vibrioides CV6 are phage phi 6 resistant, whereas flagellum-less mutants, which produce pili, are phage susceptible. Treatments of susceptible cells which remove or immobilize pili and flagella, e.g., blending or cyanide, inhibited phage phi 6 infection. Our evidence suggests that phage of phi 6 initiates infection in a manner similar to the pilus-specific phages for Pseudomonas described previously (D. E. Bradley, Virology 51:489-492, 1973; D. E. Bradley and T. L. Pitt, J. Gen. Virol. 24:1-15, 1974).

Unusual bacteriophages in Salmonella newport

Six phages were isolated from sewage and from a lysogenic strain. Three of them, belonging to a new morphological group, had contractile tails and elongated heads with axial ratios of 2.4:1. Two phages, possessing short tails and very long heads with axial ratios of 3.5:1, were new isolates of an extremely rare group. Phages of both groups formed polyheads of various sizes and shapes. The last phage, 61 nm in diameter, seemed to have a tail-like appendage. All phages had double-stranded DNA, were active on enterobacteria only, and differed in their host range. The first five phages seemed to be Salmonella specific.

Bacterial differentiation

The foregoing studies are intended to define a differentiation process and to permit genetic access to the mechanisms that control this process. In order to elucidate the basic mechanisms whereby a cell dictates its own defined morphogenic changes, we have found it helpful to study an organism that can be manipulated both biochemically and genetically. We have attempted to develop the studies initiated by Poindexter,Stove and Stanier, and Schmidt and Stanier (16, 17, 20) with the Caulobacter genus so that these bacteria can serve as a model system for prokaryotic differentiation. The Caulobacter life cycle, defined in synchronously growing cultures, includes a sequential series of morphological changes that occur at specific times in the cycle and at specific locations in the cell. Six distinct cellular characteristics, which are peculiar to these bacteria, have been defined and include (i) the synthesis of a polar organelle which may be membranous (21-23), (ii) a satellite DNA in the stalked cell (26), (iii) pili to which RNA bacteriophage specifically adsorb (16, 33), (iv) a single polar flagellum(17), (v) a lipopolysaccharide phage receptor site (27), and (vi) new cell wall material at the flagellated pole of the cell giving rise to a stalk (19, 20). Cell division, essential for the viability of the organism, is dependent on the irreversible differentiation of a flagellated swarmer cell to a mature stalked cell. The specific features of the Caulobacter system which make it a system of choice for studies of the control of sequential events resulting in cellular differentiation can be summarized as follows. 1) Cell populations can be synchronized, and homogeneous populations at each stage in the differentiation cycle can thus be obtained. 2) A specific technique has been developed whereby the progress of the differentiation cycle can be accurately measured by adsorption of labeled RNA phage or penetration of labeled phage DNA into specific cell forms. This technique can be used to select for mutants blocked in the various stages of morphogenesis. 3) Temperature-sensitive mutants of Caulobacter that are restricted in macromolecular synthesis and development at elevated temperatures have been isolated. 4) Genetic exchange in the Calflobacter genus has been demonstrated and is now being defined. Two questions related to control processes can now readily be approached experimentally. (i) Is the temporal progression of events occurring during bacterial differentiation controlled by regulator gene products? (ii) Is the differentiation cycle like a biosynthetic pathway where one event must follow another? The availability of temperature-sensitive mutants blocked at various stages of development permits access to both questions. An interesting feature of the differentiation cycle is that the polar organelle may represent a special segregated unit which is operative in the control of the differentiation process. Perhaps the sequential morphogenic changes exhibited by Caulobacter are dependent on the initial synthesis of this organelle. Because the ultimate expression of cell changes are dependent on selective protein synthesis, specific messenger RNA production-either from DNA present in an organelle or from the chromosome-may prove to be a controlling factor in cell differentiation. We have begun studies with RNA polymerase purified from Caulobacter crescentus to determine whether cell factors or alterations in the enzyme structure serve to change the specificity of transcription during the cell cycle. Control of sequential cell changes at the level of transcription has long been postulated and has recently been substantiated in the case of Bacillus sporulation (6). The Caulobacter bacteria now present another system in which direct analysis of these control mechanisms is feasible.

Properties of Caulobacter ribonucleic acid bacteriophage phi Cb5

The ribonucleic acid (RNA) bacteriophage phiCb5, which specifically infects only one form of the dimorphic stalked bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, has been obtained in high yield. Since the phage is extremely salt-sensitive, a purification procedure was devised which avoided contact with solutions of high ionic strength. Phage phiCb5 was studied with respect to the physical and chemical properties of both the phage and its RNA. In an electron microscope, the phage particles appear as small polyhedra, 23 nm in diameter. The phage is similar to the Escherichia coli RNA phages in that it (i) sediments at an S(20, w) of 70.6S, (ii) is composed of a single molecule of single-stranded RNA and a protein coat, (iii) contains two structural proteins, and (iv) apparently contains the genetic capacity to code for a coat protein subunit, a maturation-like protein, and an RNA polymerase. Phage phiCb5 differs from the E. coli RNA phages in (i) host specificity, (ii) salt sensitivity, and (iii) the presence of histidine, but not methionine, in the coat protein.

Stalked bacteria: properties of deoxriybonucleic acid bacteriophage phiCbK

The Caulobacter crescentus bacteriophage phiCbK was studied with respect to the physical and chemical properties of both the phage and its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Electron micrographs reveal the phage to be among the largest DNA bacteriophages reported, with head dimensions of 64 by 195 nm and a flexible tail 275 nm in length. The phage is composed of 57% DNA. This DNA is double-stranded as indicated by (i) the sharp increase in extinction coefficient over a narrow range of temperature increase, (ii) an increase in density in CsCl upon thermal denaturation, and (iii) the equivalence of guanine and cytosine as well as adenine and thymine, determined by chemical analysis. phiCbK DNA cosediments with Escherichia coli phage T2 DNA and has therefore been assigned an S(20,w) value of 63.5S. The size of the phage and its DNA and the percentage of DNA indicate that the phiCbK phage head is relatively loosely packed. The properties of the DNA from bacteriophage phiCbK are similar to those of host C. crescentus DNA with respect to buoyant density, thermal transition point, and guanine plus cytosine content.

Ultrastructure of bacteriophage and bacteriocins

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