Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1972 Oct;10(4):835–843. doi: 10.1128/jvi.10.4.835-843.1972

Role of F Pili in the Penetration of Bacteriophage fl

Ann Jacobson 1,2
PMCID: PMC356540  PMID: 4563597

Abstract

Early stages of infection of Escherichia coli with the filamentous bacteriophage f1 were examined in the electron microscope. Purified phage-bacteria complexes were prepared at various time intervals after the initiation of synchronous infection. Cells were scored for the total number of F pili, the number of F pili with f1 attached, the number of intact phage particles which occurred at the surface of the cell, and F pilus length. Electron microscope autoradiographs were also prepared at each time interval. The results showed that the average number of F pili with f1 attached decreased with time as phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) entered the cell. Concomitant with this loss, the remaining F pili became shorter. The rate of entry of phage DNA into the cell followed, with a short lag, the rate of loss of F pili with f1 attached. During the lag period, intact phage particles accumulated at the surface of the cell. The results from radioautographs showed that no phage DNA could be located within the F pilus. These results suggest that F pili are resorbed by the cell during infection with the bacteriophage f1. Parallel experiments with noninfected cultures further suggest that pilus resorption may be a normal cellular phenomenon.

Full text

PDF
835

Images in this article

838Image
on p.838
841Image
on p.841

Selected References

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

  1. Brinton C. C., Jr The properties of sex pili, the viral nature of "conjugal" genetic transfer systems, and some possible approaches to the control of bacterial drug resistance. CRC Crit Rev Microbiol. 1971 May;1(1):105–160. doi: 10.3109/10408417109104479. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brinton C. C., Jr The structure, function, synthesis and genetic control of bacterial pili and a molecular model for DNA and RNA transport in gram negative bacteria. Trans N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Jun;27(8):1003–1054. doi: 10.1111/j.2164-0947.1965.tb02342.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CARO L. G., VAN TUBERGEN R. P., KOLB J. A. High-resolution autoradiography. I. Methods. J Cell Biol. 1962 Nov;15:173–188. doi: 10.1083/jcb.15.2.173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Caro L. G., Schnös M. The attachment of the male-specific bacteriophage F1 to sensitive strains of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Jul;56(1):126–132. doi: 10.1073/pnas.56.1.126. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Curtiss R., 3rd, Caro L. G., Allison D. P., Stallions D. R. Early stages of conjugation in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1969 Nov;100(2):1091–1104. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.2.1091-1104.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Henry T. J., Brinton C. C., Jr Removal of the coat protein of bacteriophages M13 or fd from the exterior of the host after infection. Virology. 1971 Dec;46(3):754–763. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(71)90077-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ippen K. A., Valentine R. C. The sex hair of E. coli as sensory fiber, conjugation tube, or mating arm? Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1967 Jun 23;27(6):674–680. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(67)80088-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Knolle P. Evidence for the identity of the mating-specific site of male cells of Escherichia coli with the receptor site of an RNA phage. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1967 Apr 7;27(1):81–87. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(67)80043-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LOEB T. Isolation of a bacteriophage specific for the F plus and Hfr mating types of Escherichia coli K-12. Science. 1960 Mar 25;131(3404):932–933. doi: 10.1126/science.131.3404.932. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LOEB T., ZINDER N. D. A bacteriophage containing RNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1961 Mar 15;47:282–289. doi: 10.1073/pnas.47.3.282. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marvin D. A., Hohn B. Filamentous bacterial viruses. Bacteriol Rev. 1969 Jun;33(2):172–209. doi: 10.1128/br.33.2.172-209.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Novotny C. P., Lavin K. Some effects of temperature on the growth of F pili. J Bacteriol. 1971 Sep;107(3):671–682. doi: 10.1128/jb.107.3.671-682.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Novotny C., Knight W. S., Brinton C. C., Jr Inhibition of bacterial conjugation by ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid male-specific bacteriophages. J Bacteriol. 1968 Feb;95(2):314–326. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.2.314-326.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ou J. T., Anderson T. F. Role of pili in bacterial conjugation. J Bacteriol. 1970 Jun;102(3):648–654. doi: 10.1128/jb.102.3.648-654.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. TZAGOLOFF H., PRATT D. THE INITIAL STEPS IN INFECTION WITH COLIPHAGE M13. Virology. 1964 Nov;24:372–380. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(64)90174-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Trenkner E., Bonhoeffer F., Gierer A. The fate of the protein component of bacteriophage fd during infection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1967 Sep 27;28(6):932–939. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(67)90069-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES