Phage morphology is generally used to group phages into three groups, which infect bacteria differently. In the case of our phage, the non-contractile tail indicates that our phage is siphoviridic and has a base-plate that binds differently to bacterial membrane proteins than other morphotypes. Its important to know this to understand what parts of the genome should be modified to make the phage more virile.
Finding novel phages is important to specifically medical research involving antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens. The more phages can be found, the more likely it is that we can test better phage cocktails for diseases like tuberculosis. Also, finding more phages and sequencing them helps us understand the different functions of the few genes the phages express.
After the phage injects it genetic material into the bacteria, it uses various repressors to inhibit the inherent transcription of the bacterial genome, and upregulate polymerases to replicate and transcribe its genome. After the phage proteins are expressed and assembled, the remaining phage DNA allows expression of holin and lysin late genes, which penetrate and destroy the bacterial cell membrane/wall, lysing the host and releasing the daughter phages.
How does the size and shape of the phage impact how it works and infects bacteria?
Phage morphology is generally used to group phages into three groups, which infect bacteria differently. In the case of our phage, the non-contractile tail indicates that our phage is siphoviridic and has a base-plate that binds differently to bacterial membrane proteins than other morphotypes. Its important to know this to understand what parts of the genome should be modified to make the phage more virile.
What do you think is the benefit of this research is to the scientific community?
Finding novel phages is important to specifically medical research involving antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens. The more phages can be found, the more likely it is that we can test better phage cocktails for diseases like tuberculosis. Also, finding more phages and sequencing them helps us understand the different functions of the few genes the phages express.
How does a phage lyse a host, what is this process?
After the phage injects it genetic material into the bacteria, it uses various repressors to inhibit the inherent transcription of the bacterial genome, and upregulate polymerases to replicate and transcribe its genome. After the phage proteins are expressed and assembled, the remaining phage DNA allows expression of holin and lysin late genes, which penetrate and destroy the bacterial cell membrane/wall, lysing the host and releasing the daughter phages.
Hey Conner, great presentation. Do you know the root of the name of Mycobacterium Smegmatis?