1. A non-invasive method for studying viral DNA delivery to bacteria reveals key requirements for phage SPP1 DNA entry in Bacillus subtilis cells.
- Author
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Fernandes S, Labarde A, Baptista C, Jakutytè L, Tavares P, and São-José C
- Subjects
- Bacillus subtilis metabolism, Calcium metabolism, Genome, Viral, Gramicidin pharmacology, Membrane Potentials, Microscopy, Fluorescence, Molecular Imaging, Virus Internalization drug effects, Virus Uncoating, Bacillus subtilis virology, Bacteriophages physiology, DNA, Viral, Gene Transfer Techniques, Transduction, Genetic
- Abstract
Bacteriophages use most frequently a tail apparatus to create a channel across the entire bacterial cell envelope to transfer the viral genome to the host cell cytoplasm, initiating infection. Characterization of this critical step remains a major challenge due to the difficulty to monitor DNA entry in the bacterium and its requirements. In this work we developed a new method to study phage DNA entry that has the potential to be extended to many tailed phages. Its application to study genome delivery of bacteriophage SPP1 into Bacillus subtilis disclosed a key role of the host cell membrane potential in the DNA entry process. An energized B. subtilis membrane and a millimolar concentration of calcium ions are shown to be major requirements for SPP1 DNA entry following the irreversible binding of phage particles to the receptor YueB., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2016
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