DNA replication and head assembly in bacteriophage T4.

Abstract

Phage DNA was accumulated in cells of E. coli B, infected with the phage T4DtsLB3 (gene 42), without the synthesis of late proteins (in the presence of chloramphenicol). Then (stage II), chloramphenicol was removed and further replication of the phage DNA suppressed with hydroxyurea and by simultaneously raising the temperature to 40 degrees. The media M9 or M9 with 1% amino acid were used; the times of addition of chloramphenicol and the hydroxyurea concentration were also varied. It was also shown that in medium M9, at stage II, chiefly early proteins were synthesized. In the medium containing amino acids, at stage II the following was observed: 1) DNA synthesis was entirely suppressed and a degradation of DNA occurred; 2) both early and late proteins were synthesized, with a predominance of the latter; 3) an assembly of the elements of the phage tails and capsids occurred without the neck and flagellum, and a small number of phage particles were also found; 4) the capsids, isolated in a sucrose density gradient after lysis with chloroform, contained the proteins Palt, P20, P23, P24, several unidentified proteins, and did not contain Pwac, P23, and P22, 5) the yield of viable phage varied from 0.05 to 15% per cell. Thus, the entire morphogenesis of T4 phage can occur without accompanying replication of phage DNA.