Bacteriophage-host interactions in assembly

Abstract

Because of their small genome size and their parasitic way of life, bacteriophages have obligatorily evolved in such a way as to efficiently utilize many of the bacterial functions necessary for DNA replication, transcription, translation, and morphogenesis. In many instances the phage and host functions act in parallel in these processes, e.g. T4 and host DNA ligase. The specific nature of the host's contribution to phage morphogenesis is being pursued by the studies summarized here. The isolation and characterization of bacterial mutants which block phage morphogenesis, albeit at a preliminary stage, has already contributed considerable genetic information about the host's role. Future biochemical experiments, such as in vitro reconstitution, will help define the level of action of these bacterial gene products in the phage assembly process.