Summary
Mutants of coliphage lambda defective in structural genes were isolated and characterized. The isolation method consisted in lysogenizing bacteria with mutagenized phage and testing for inability to form plaques after heat induction. The mutants were propagated as prophages in the lysogens. Mutants in the region of the tail-genes U, V. G and H were enriched for by a selection method based on recombination and complementation with known mutants, and they were mapped by deletion mapping with newly isolated λdg's. The lysates of all the mutants were examined by electron microscopy. Some of the mutants showed phenotypes different from those of known amber mutants in the same genes. They are interpreted as producing partially active, altered gene products and might be useful for the studies of morphogenesis and of the mechanism of infection.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Refernces
Arber, W., Kellenberger, G.: Study of the properties of seven defective-lysogenic strains derived from Escherichia coli K12(λ). Virology 5, 458–475 (1958)
Buchwald, M., Murialdo, H., Siminovitch, L.: The morphogenesis of bacteriophage lambda. II. Identification of principal structural proteins. Virology 42, 390–400 (1970)
Buchwald, M., Siminovitch, L.: Production of serum-blocking material by mutants of the left arm of the λ chromosome. Virology 38, 1–7 (1969)
Campbell, A.: Sensitive mutants of bacteriophage λ. Virology 14, 22–32 (1961)
Campbell, A.: Distribution of genetic types of transducing lambda phages. Genetics 48, 409–421 (1963)
Casjens, S., Hohn, T., Kaiser, A.D.: Morphological proteins of phage lambda: identification of the major head protein as the product of gene E. Virology 42, 496–507 (1970)
Casjens, S., King, J.: Virus assembly. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 44, 555–611 (1975)
Dove, W.F.: Action of the lambda chromosome. I. Control of functions late in bacteriophage development. J. molec. Biol. 19, 187–201 (1966)
Eiserling, F.A., Dickson, R.C.: Assembly of viruses. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 41, 467–502 (1972)
Epstien, R.H., Bolle, C., Steinberg, C.M., Kellenberger, E., Boy de la Tour, E., Chevealley, R., Edgar, R.S., Susman, M., Denhardt, G.H., Lielausis, A.: Physiological studies of conditional lethal mutants of bacteriophage T4D. Cold Spr. Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 28, 375–392 (1963)
Goldberg, A.R., Howe, M.: New mutations in the S cistron of bacteriophage lambda affecting host cell lysis. Virology 38, 200–202 (1969)
Jacob, F., Wollman, E.L.: Recherches sur les bactéries lysogènes défectives. I. Déterminisme génétique de la morphogenèse chez un bactériophage tempéré. Ann. Inst. Pasteur 90, 282–302 (1956)
Katsura, I., Kühl, P.W.: A regulator protein for the length determination of bacteriophage labda tail. J. supramolec. Struct. 2, 239–253 (1974)
Katsura, I., Kühl, P.W.: Morphogenesis of the tail of bacteriophage λ. II. In vitro formation and properties of phage particles with extra long tails. Virology 63, 238–251 (1975a)
Katsura, I., Kühl, P.W.: Morphogenesis of the tail of bacteriophage λ. III. Morphogenetic pathway. J. molec. Biol. 91, 257–273 (1975b)
Kellenberger, E., Edgar, R.S.: Structure and assembly of phage particles. In: Bacteriophage Lambda (A.D. Hershey, ed.) Chap. 14, pp. 271–295. New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1971
Kemp, C.L., Howatson, A.F., Siminovitch, L.: Electron microscopic studies of mutants of lambda bacteriophage. 1. General description and quantitation of viral products. Virology 36, 490–502 (1968)
King, J.: Bacteriophage T4 tail assembly: Four steps in core formation. J. molec. Biol. 58, 693–709 (1971)
Lederberg, E.M.: Genetics and functional aspects of galactose metabolism in Escherichia coli K-12. Symp. Soc. gen. Microbiol. 10, 115–131 (1960)
Lieb, M.: Ultraviolet sensitivity of Escherichia coli containing heat-inducible λ prophage. Science 145, 175–176 (1964)
Mount, D.W.A., Harris, A.W., Fuerst, C.R., Siminovitch, L.: Mutants in bacteriophage lambda affecting particle morphogenesis. Virology 35, 134–149 (1968)
Murialdo, H., Siminovitch, L.: The morphogenesis of bacteriophage lambda. III. Identification of gene products and control of the expression of the morphogenetic information. Virology 48, 785–823 (1972)
Parkinson, J.S.: Genetics of the left arm of the chromosome of bacteriophage lambda. Genetics 59, 311–325 (1968)
Ray, P., Murialdo, H.: The role of gene Nu3 in bacteriophage lambda head morphogenesis. Virology 64, 247–263 (1975)
Scandella, D., Arber, W.: Phage λ DNA injection into Escherichia coli pel mutants is restored by mutations in phage genes V and H. Virology 69, 206–215 (1976)
Sussman, R., Jacob, F.: Sur un système de répression thermosensible chez le bactériophage λ d'Escherichia coli. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 254, 1517–1519 (1962)
Weigle, J.: Assembly of phage lambda in vitro. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 55, 1462–1466 (1966)
Wood, W.B., Edgar, R.S., King, J., Lielausis, I., Henninger, M.: Bacteriophage assembly. Fed. Proc. 27, 1160–1166 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by G. Bertani
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katsura, I. Isolation of λ prophage mutants defective in structural genes: Their use for the study of bacteriophage morphogenesis. Molec. Gen. Genet. 148, 31–42 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268543
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268543