A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

PROTEIN-PRIMED DNA-REPLICATION - ROLE OF INVERTED TERMINAL REPEATS IN THE ESCHERICHIA-COLI BACTERIOPHAGE-PRD1 LIFE-CYCLE




AuthorsSAVILAHTI H, BAMFORD DH

PublisherAMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY

Publication year1993

Journal:Journal of Virology

Journal name in sourceJOURNAL OF VIROLOGY

Journal acronymJ VIROL

Volume67

Issue8

First page 4696

Last page4703

Number of pages8

ISSN0022-538X

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.67.8.4696-4703.1993


Abstract
Escherichia coli bacteriophage PRD1 and its relatives contain linear double-stranded DNA genomes, the replication of which proceeds via a protein-primed mechanism. Characteristically, these molecules contain 5'-covalently bound terminal proteins and inverted terminal nucleotide sequences (inverted terminal repeats [ITRs]). The ITRs of each PRD1 phage species have evolved in parallel, suggesting communication between the molecule ends during the life cycle of these viruses. This process was studied by constructing chimeric PRD1 phage DNA molecules with dissimilar end sequences. These molecules were created by combining two closely related phage genomes (i) in vivo by homologous recombination and (ii) in vitro by ligation of appropriate DNA restriction fragments. The fate of the ITRs after propagation of single genomes was monitored by DNA sequence analysis. Recombinants created in vivo showed that phages with nonidentical genome termini are viable and relatively stable, and hybrid phages made in vitro verified this observation. However, genomes in which the dissimilar DNA termini had regained identical sequences were also detected. These observations are explained by a DNA replication model involving two not mutually exclusive pathways. The generality of this model in protein-primed DNA replication is discussed.



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