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PMID: 4924630 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Capsid size and deoxyribonucleic acid length: the petite variant of bacteriophage T4.

Journal of virology ·Vol. 6 ·No. 6 ·1970-12-00 ·Pages 865-76

Eiserling FA, Geiduschek EP, Epstein RH, Metter EJ

Abstract

A mutant which produces a small-headed ("petite") variant of bacteriophage T4 is described. The mutation (E920g) maps in a new gene (66) between genes 23 and 24. Petite phage particles composed up to 70% of the phage yield. The petite phage was nonviable upon single infection but produced progeny when two or more infected a cell. Its genome was shortened by a random deletion of about 30%, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from the particles was 0.68 the length of normal T4 DNA. The reduction in DNA length was accompanied by a proportional reduction in head volume. Double mutants between E920g and head-defective mutants in gene 21 produced unusually high frequencies of spherical capsidlike structures (tau-particles).

MeSH Terms
Centrifugation, Density Gradient Chromosome Mapping Coliphages/analysis,growth & development,isolation & purification Crosses, Genetic DNA, Viral/analysis Escherichia coli Genes Genetic Complementation Test Genetic Variation Genetics, Microbial Microscopy, Electron Mutation Sucrose Viral Proteins
Chemicals
DNA, Viral Viral Proteins Sucrose
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Eiserling F A
Geiduschek E P
Epstein R H
Metter E J
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27 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of virology
Abbr.
J Virol
ISSN
0022-538X
DOI
10.1128/JVI.6.6.865-876.1970
Published
1970-12-00
Pages
865-76
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0113724
PMCID
PMC376205
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/JVI.6.6.865-876.1970 PMC Full Text View journal details
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