Bacteriophage-induced functions in Escherichia coli K (lambda) infected with rII mutants of bacteriophage T4

Bacteriocinlike killing action of a temperate bacteriophage phiBA1 of Bacillus aneurinolyticus

A new temperate phage, phiBA1, was isolated from Bacillus aneurinolyticus, phiBA1 had an icosahedral head with a diameter of about 70 nm and a tail about 20 nm long and contained a circularly permuted, linear duplex DNA of about 38 x 106 daltons. This phage showed two activities: bacteriocin-like killing activity against five strains of B. aneurinolyticus and normal temperate phage activity against three other strains. phiBA1 killed sensitive cells by a single-hit process. After adsorption of phiBA1 to cells sensitive to killing, the content of intracellular ATP increased for the first 5 min and then gradually decreased. Phage DNA injected into the cell immediately after infection was degraded rapidly. Killing was also caused by heavily UV-irradiated phiBA1. Killing-resistant mutants showed normal adsorption of phiBA1 and normal injection of the DNA with its instantaneous restriction. Our results indicate that the killing action of phiBA1 is different from the phenomenon of abortive infection and suggest that the killing might be caused by a proteinaceous component of phiBA1.

Analysis of expression of the rII gene function of bacteriophage T4

Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of the T4 phage rII gene were islated and used in temperature shift experiments that revelaed two different expressions for the normal rII (rII+) gene function in vivo: (i) an early expression (0 to 12 min postinfection at 30 C) that prevents restriction of T4 growth in Escherichia coli hosts lysogenic for gamma phage, and (ii) a later expression (12 to 18 min postinfection at 30 C) that results in restriction of T4 growth when the phage DNA ligase (gene 30) is missing. The earlier expression appeared to coincide with the period of synthesis of the protein product of the T4 rIIA cistron, whereas the later expression occurred after rIIA protein synthesis had stopped. The synthesis of the protein product of the rIIB cistron continues for several minutes after rIIA protein synthesis ceases (O'Farrell and Gold, 1973). The two rII+ gene expressions might require different molar ratios of the rIIA and rIIB proteins. It is possible that the separate expressions of rII+ gene function are manifestations of different associations between the two rII proteins and other T4-induced proteins that are synthesized or activated at different times after phage infection.

Genetic evidence for an additional function of phage T4 gene 32 protein: interaction with ligase

Gene 32 of bacteriophage T4 is essential for DNA replication, recombination, and repair. In an attempt to clarify the role of the corresponding gene product, we have looked for mutations that specifically inactivate one but not all of its functions and for compensating suppressor mutations in other genes. Here we describe a gene 32 ts mutant that does not produce progeny, but in contrast to an am mutant investigated by others, is capable of some primary and secondary DNA replication and of forming "joint" recombinational intermediates after infection of Escherichia coli B at the restrictive temperature. However, parental and progeny DNA strands are not ligated to covalently linked "recombinant" molecules, and single strands of vegetative DNA do not exceed unit length. Progeny production as well as capacity for covalent linkage in this gene 32 ts mutant are partially restored by additional rII mutations. Suppression by rII depends on functioning host ligase [EC 6.5.1.2; poly(deoxyribonucleotide):poly(deoxyribonucleotide) ligase (AMP-forming, NMN-forming)]. This gene 32 ts mutation (unlike some others) in turn suppresses the characteristic plaque morphology of rII mutants. We conclude that gene 32 protein, in addition to its role in DNA replication and in the formation of "joint" recombinational intermediates, interacts with T4 ligase [EC 6.5.1.1; poly(deoxyribonucleotide):poly(deoxyribonucleotide) ligase (AMP-forming)] when recombining DNA strands are covalently linked. The protein of the mutant that we describe here is mainly defective in this interaction, thus inactivating T4 ligase in recombination. Suppressing rII mutations facilitate substitution of host ligase. There is suggestive evidence that these interactions occur at the membrane.

Rescue of DNA replication and bacteriophage production after infection with T4 DNA ligase mutants

By preventing phage DNA synthesis during a critical period, conditions have been found under which DNA replication and phage production are rescued after infection with T4 DNA ligase mutants.

Ligase-defective bacteriophage T4. II. Physiological studies

The timing of the suppression of gene 30 (deoxyribonucleic acid ligase) mutations by rII mutations was studied by temperature shift-down experiments with a temperature-sensitive rII mutation. The rII function must remain inactivated for about 5 to 8 min at 37 C for suppression to occur, thus making suppression an early function. This result is in agreement with the timing of expression of other rII functions. A gene 30 defect can also be overcome by replacing the Na(+) cation in the growth medium with the Mg(2+) cation, a result similar to the relief of the lethality of rII mutations in lambda lysogens. Prior infection with bacteriophages T3 or T7, which produce their own deoxyribonucleic acid ligases, can also partially overcome the lethality of gene 30 mutations.

Defective deoxyribonucleic acid replication of T4rII bacteriophage in lambda-lysogenic host cells

Sedimentation of the replicative deoxyribonucleic acid through alkaline sucrose gradients showed that rII single chains reached the half-mature size at a time when wild-type molecules formed long chains (dimers and trimers of genome size). Long rII single chains could be observed on substitution of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer for Na(+)K(+) phosphate in the growth medium.

Bacteriophage lysozyme synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12(lambda) infected with rII mutant of bacteriophage T4

When Escherichia coli K-12(lambda) was infected with a T4rII bacteriophage, synthesis of lysozyme appeared at the normal time but stopped 15 min after infection. The lysozyme produced was 1% of the normal level.

Partial suppression of bacteriophage T4 ligase mutations by T4 endonuclease II deficiency: role of host ligase

Endonuclease II-deficient, ligase-deficient double mutants of phage T4 induce considerably more deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis after infection of Escherichia coli B than does the ligase-deficient single mutant. Furthermore, the double mutant can replicate 10 to 15% as well as wild-type T4, whereas the single mutant fails to replicate. When the E. coli host is also deficient in ligase, the double mutant resembles the single mutant. The results indicate that host ligase can substitute for phage ligase when the host DNA is not attacked by the phage-induced endonuclease II.

Suppression of adsorption properties of a z mutant of bacteriophage T4 by r mutations

The products of bacteriophage T4 r genes influence the organization of the phage-adsorption apparatus in a noncatalytic way.

Control of gene function in baceriophage T4. II. Synthes of messenger ribonucleiccid and proei after interrupting deoxyribonucleic acid replication and glucosylation

Replication of T4 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is known to be required for the onset of transcription of late T4 genes. Once late gene transcription has been initiated, DNA replication is no longer required for maintaining synthesis of late or early T4 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). Late phage proteins (lysozyme and tail fibers) continue to be produced at constant rates after interrupting T4 DNA synthesis. The ability of the host cell to glucosylate the T4 progeny DNA has no demonstrable influence on the rates at which T4 mRNA and late proteins are synthesized after the interruption of DNA synthesis. To explain the requirement of T4 DNA replication for the onset of late gene transcription, we suggest that T4 DNA in a nascent state is mandatory for the initial late gene transcription, or perhaps for late gene transcription throughout the lytic cycle. T4 DNA in a nascent state could be segregated from the bulk of the replicating DNA, used only as template for RNA synthesis, and prevented from being modified by methylation, glucosylation, or maturation processes. The fact that no, or very little, nonglucosylated T4 DNA is extractable from T4LB3-infected CR63 after arresting DNA synthesis does not rule out this possibility.

Control of gene function in bacteriophage T4. I. Ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid metabolism in T4rII-infected lambda-lysogenic hosts

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in T4rII-infected, lambda-lysogenic strains of Escherichia coli proceeds with one-half the rate of T4 wild-infected bacteria and stops 16 min after infection at 37 C. The rates of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis, however, are the same with T4rII and T4 wild. The turnover of pulse-labeled RNA is slow in K strains (half-lives 10 to 20 min) as compared with B strains (half-lives 2.5 to 6 min). Lambda-lysogeny increases the apparent messenger (m) RNA half-lives in pulse-chase experiments. The shutoff of host RNA synthesis in T4rII infected K(lambda) is incomplete. Moreover, the preferential transcription of T4 DNA ceases 13 min after infection, and transcription of host and prophage lambda DNA is resumed. The T4 RNA synthesized in rII-infected K(lambda) contains no late T4 mRNA. The early portion of the T4 genome, however, is transcribed completely. The T4-induced early modification of bacterial RNA polymerase does occur. Resumption of host DNA transcription at 13 min after infection is not associated with a reversal of the above polymerase modification. It is concluded that in lambdalysogenic bacteria T4rII infections are abortive because RNA polymerase is prevented from transcribing late T4 genes.