Normally all of the samples would look like the uncut DNA control in lane 2, but the restriction enzymes added to the other lanes cut the DNA. The more cuts there are, the longer the samples will appear. Enzymes like HaeIII in lane 6 cut the DNA so many times that it can appear as a single long smear because there are too many cuts to be individually visible.
Great question! A-cluster phage species are temperate in nature, undergoing both the lytic and lysogenic lifecycle. This means they form cloudy plaques such as the ones pictured in figure 1A. Having the morphotype Siphoviridae is itself a characteristic of A-cluster phages. I’m unaware of any shared behavioral characteristics of Siphoviridae phage species, but phenotypically they are identifiable by their long flexible tails. Typically the tail length of a Siphoviridae phage is many times larger than the diameter of its head. In the case of phage Auspice, the tail is ~5x as long as the head is wide.
Our phage was isolated from a soil sample taken outside the Rec Center here on campus. ~3mL of soil was collected from near the roots of a tree and then enriched, filtered, and plated in a plaque assay to create a sample containing phage.
curesymposium.org 
Why are the lanes on the gel so long and vibrant down the gel?
LikeLike
Normally all of the samples would look like the uncut DNA control in lane 2, but the restriction enzymes added to the other lanes cut the DNA. The more cuts there are, the longer the samples will appear. Enzymes like HaeIII in lane 6 cut the DNA so many times that it can appear as a single long smear because there are too many cuts to be individually visible.
LikeLike
What are some characteristics of the A2 cluster? What are some characteristics of Siphoviridae phages?
LikeLike
Great question! A-cluster phage species are temperate in nature, undergoing both the lytic and lysogenic lifecycle. This means they form cloudy plaques such as the ones pictured in figure 1A. Having the morphotype Siphoviridae is itself a characteristic of A-cluster phages. I’m unaware of any shared behavioral characteristics of Siphoviridae phage species, but phenotypically they are identifiable by their long flexible tails. Typically the tail length of a Siphoviridae phage is many times larger than the diameter of its head. In the case of phage Auspice, the tail is ~5x as long as the head is wide.
LikeLike
How was your phage collected and where was it found?
LikeLike
Our phage was isolated from a soil sample taken outside the Rec Center here on campus. ~3mL of soil was collected from near the roots of a tree and then enriched, filtered, and plated in a plaque assay to create a sample containing phage.
LikeLike