Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1982 Aug;43(2):641–654. doi: 10.1128/jvi.43.2.641-654.1982

Genetic studies on capsid-length determination in bacteriophage T4. I. Isolation and partial characterization of second-site revertants of a gene 23 mutation affecting capsid length.

D H Doherty
PMCID: PMC256166  PMID: 7109034

Abstract

The T4 mutation ptg19-80 affects the mechanism of capsid-length determination. It is located in gene 23, which encodes the major structural protein of the capsid. The mutation results in the production of abnormal-length capsids in high frequencies. This paper describes the isolation and partial characterization of second-site revertants of ptg19-80. In the course of their analysis, it was discovered that ptg19-80 is itself a double mutation consisting of a gene 23 mutation (ptg19-80c), which causes the morphogenetic defect, and a suppressor mutation located near the lysozyme gene. Phenotypic characterization of nine pseudo-wild-type revertants of this double-mutation revealed that these revertants all produced lower frequencies of abnormal capsids than did ptg19-80. Seven of these revertants were shown to contain two suppressor mutations, one mapping in or near gene 22 and done mapping in or near gene 24. Both mutations were required for suppression. These suppressors displayed no discernible phenotype in the absence of ptg19-80c.

Full text

PDF
641

Images in this article

646Image
on p.646
649Image
on p.649

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aebi U., Bijlenga R., v d Broek J., v d Broek H., Eiserling F., Kellenberger C., Kellenberger E., Mesyanzhinov V., Müller L., Showe M. The transformation of tau particles into T4 heads. II. Transformations of the surface lattice and related observations on form determination. J Supramol Struct. 1974;2(2-4):253–275. doi: 10.1002/jss.400020218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bijlenga R. K., Aebi U., Kellenberger E. Properties and structure of a gene 24-controlled T4 giant phage. J Mol Biol. 1976 May 25;103(3):469–498. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(76)90213-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bijlenga R. K., Broek R vd, Kellenberger E. The transformation of rho-particles into T4 heads. I. Evidence for the conservative mode of this transformation. J Supramol Struct. 1974;2(1):45–59. doi: 10.1002/jss.400020106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Branton D., Klug A. Capsid geometry of bacteriophage T2: a freeze-etching study. J Mol Biol. 1975 Mar 15;92(4):559–565. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(75)90309-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Celis J. E., Smith J. D., Brenner S. Correlation between genetic and translational maps of gene 23 in bacteriophage T4. Nat New Biol. 1973 Jan 31;241(109):130–132. doi: 10.1038/newbio241130a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chase M, Doermann A H. High Negative Interference over Short Segments of the Genetic Structure of Bacteriophage T4. Genetics. 1958 May;43(3):332–353. doi: 10.1093/genetics/43.3.332. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cummings D. J., Chapman V. A., DeLong S. S. Structural aberrations in T-even bacteriophage. IX. Effect of mixed infection on the production of giant bacteriophage. J Virol. 1977 May;22(2):489–499. doi: 10.1128/jvi.22.2.489-499.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Doermann A. H., Eiserling F. A., Boehner L. Genetic control of capsid length in bacteriophage T4. I. Isolation and preliminary description of four new mutants. J Virol. 1973 Aug;12(2):374–385. doi: 10.1128/jvi.12.2.374-385.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Doherty D. H. Genetic studies on capsid-length determination in bacteriophage T4. II. Genetic evidence that specific protein-protein interactions are involved. J Virol. 1982 Aug;43(2):655–663. doi: 10.1128/jvi.43.2.655-663.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. EPSTEIN R. H. A study of multiplicity-reactivation in the bacteriophage T4. I. Genetic and functional analysis of T4D-K12(lambda) complexes. Virology. 1958 Oct;6(2):382–404. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(58)90090-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HARM W. On the mechanism of multiplicity reactivation in bacteriophage. Virology. 1956 Aug;2(4):559–564. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(56)90011-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KRIEG D. R. Ethyl methanesulfonate-induced reversion of bacteriophage T4rII mutants. Genetics. 1963 Apr;48:561–580. doi: 10.1093/genetics/48.4.561. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kellenberger E. Studies on the morphopoiesis of the head of phage T-even. V. The components of the T4 capsid and of other, capsid-related structures. Virology. 1968 Mar;34(3):549–561. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(68)90074-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kurtz M. B., Champe S. P. Precursors of the T4 internal peptides. J Virol. 1977 May;22(2):412–419. doi: 10.1128/jvi.22.2.412-419.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Luria S. E., Dulbecco R. Genetic Recombinations Leading to Production of Active Bacteriophage from Ultraviolet Inactivated Bacteriophage Particles. Genetics. 1949 Mar;34(2):93–125. doi: 10.1093/genetics/34.2.93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Luria S. E. Reactivation of Irradiated Bacteriophage by Transfer of Self-Reproducing Units. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1947 Sep;33(9):253–264. doi: 10.1073/pnas.33.9.253. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Onorato L., Showe M. K. Gene 21 protein-dependent proteolysis in vitro of purified gene 22 product of bacteriophage T4. J Mol Biol. 1975 Mar 5;92(3):395–412. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(75)90288-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Paietta J. V., McDonald T. L., Doermann A. H. Method for the isolation of bacteriphage T4 mutants that produce particles with giant capsids. J Virol. 1976 May;18(2):785–787. doi: 10.1128/jvi.18.2.785-787.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Paulson J. R., Lazaroff S., Laemmli U. K. Head length determination in bacteriophage T4: the role of the core protein P22. J Mol Biol. 1976 May 5;103(1):155–174. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(76)90057-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Showe M. K., Black L. W. Assembly core of bacteriophage T4: an intermediate in head formation. Nat New Biol. 1973 Mar 21;242(116):70–75. doi: 10.1038/newbio242070a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Showe M. K., Isobe E., Onorato L. Bacteriophage T4 prehead proteinase. I. Purification and properties of a bacteriophage enzyme which cleaves the capsid precursor proteins. J Mol Biol. 1976 Oct 15;107(1):35–54. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(76)80016-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Showe M. K., Onorato L. Kinetic factors and form determination of the head of bacteriophage T4. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Sep;75(9):4165–4169. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.9.4165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Völker T. A., Showe M. K. Induction of mutations in specific genes of bacteriophage T4 using cloned restriction fragments and marker rescue. Mol Gen Genet. 1980 Feb;177(3):447–452. doi: 10.1007/BF00271483. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wood W. B., Revel H. R. The genome of bacteriophage T4. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Dec;40(4):847–868. doi: 10.1128/br.40.4.847-868.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. van Driel R., Couture E. Assembly of the scaffolding core of bacteriophage T4 preheads. J Mol Biol. 1978 Aug 25;123(4):713–719. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90217-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES