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DNA Packaging Specificity in the λ-like Phages: Gifsy-1
  • Mike Feiss,
  • Jean Sippy
Mike Feiss
The University of Iowa Department of Microbiology and Immunology
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Jean Sippy
The University of Iowa Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Corresponding Author:jean-sippy@uiowa.edu

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Abstract

DNA viruses recognize viral DNA and package it into virions. Specific recognition is needed to distinguish viral DNA from host cell DNA. The λ-like phages are interesting and good models to examine viral DNA packaging, and the Escherichia coli phage λ has been extensively studied. Gifsy-1 is a Salmonella phage largely genetically isolated from coliphage λ due to their different host ranges. In this present work, Gifsy-1’s DNA packaging specificity was studied using a Gifsy-1-λ hybrid phage with the Gifsy-1 recognition elements – the TerS protein’s winged helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif and cosB, the TerS binding site. In vivo packaging studies showed Gifsy-1 packages λ DNA at ⁓50% and λ packages Gifsy-1 DNA at ⁓ 30% efficiency, and thus share the same DNA packaging specificity. N15 is a third phage that shares phage λ’s packaging specificity. Here N15 is shown to package Gifsy-1 DNA. Phage 21 fails to package λ and Gifsy-1 DNAs; the efficiencies are 0.01% and 1%, resp. A known incompatibility between the 21 helix-turn-helix motif and cosB λ is also proposed to account for the inability of 21 to package Gifsy-1 DNA.
30 Mar 2024Submitted to Molecular Microbiology
30 Mar 2024Submission Checks Completed
30 Mar 2024Assigned to Editor
30 Apr 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Jul 20241st Revision Received
20 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
20 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
24 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
05 Aug 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
07 Aug 20242nd Revision Received
09 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
09 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
09 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Accept