A temperate phage is one that is capable of undergoing the lysogenic cycle. This is a form of reproduction that involves integrating the phage genome into the host bacteria and remaining dormant for a period of time before lysing the bacteria. The cloudy plaques indicate that the phage is temperate because the cloudiness shows that not all bacteria are being immediately lysed. Some have been infected, but the phage has not yet lysed them, indicating a temperate nature.
The Siphoviridae morphology of phages is indicated by their long non-contractable tails. This affects the way that the phage interacts with the host bacteria as well as the way the phage inserts its genome by utilizing its long tail. As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a correlation between Siphoviridae morphology and a phage being more likely to be temperate.
Do you think there is a possibility to genetically modify your Phage to give it a lytic cycle? If so, Do you think it could then be used to aid in Antimicrobial resistance? Or is this process not worth it in this phages case?
I do think that this is possible. A study that I looked into recently involved researchers modifying the Cro and Cl genes in the phage in order to attempt to reduce lysogenic behavior. If this could be done effectively, it would make Squido a better candidate for potential future phage therapy research, which would ultimately help in eliminating the growing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria. I do also feel that this process would not be worth the effort unless there was a specific and harmful pathogen that Squido could infect and destroy. If so, making Squido more lytic would be great.
Why does the plaque being cloudy mean that the Squido is a temperate phage?
A temperate phage is one that is capable of undergoing the lysogenic cycle. This is a form of reproduction that involves integrating the phage genome into the host bacteria and remaining dormant for a period of time before lysing the bacteria. The cloudy plaques indicate that the phage is temperate because the cloudiness shows that not all bacteria are being immediately lysed. Some have been infected, but the phage has not yet lysed them, indicating a temperate nature.
What is the importance of the phage being siphoviradae, and does that have any connection to it being temperate?
The Siphoviridae morphology of phages is indicated by their long non-contractable tails. This affects the way that the phage interacts with the host bacteria as well as the way the phage inserts its genome by utilizing its long tail. As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a correlation between Siphoviridae morphology and a phage being more likely to be temperate.
Do you think there is a possibility to genetically modify your Phage to give it a lytic cycle? If so, Do you think it could then be used to aid in Antimicrobial resistance? Or is this process not worth it in this phages case?
I do think that this is possible. A study that I looked into recently involved researchers modifying the Cro and Cl genes in the phage in order to attempt to reduce lysogenic behavior. If this could be done effectively, it would make Squido a better candidate for potential future phage therapy research, which would ultimately help in eliminating the growing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria. I do also feel that this process would not be worth the effort unless there was a specific and harmful pathogen that Squido could infect and destroy. If so, making Squido more lytic would be great.
If Squido was more successful what would the next step of Phage Therapy Research entail?