Lethal action of bacteriophage lambda S gene

Mechanism of action of the cro protein of bacteriophage lambda.

The mechanism of action of cro protein was probed by measuring its ability to protect DNA against methylation by dimethyl sulfate and its effect on transcription in vitro. The cro protein binds to the same three sites in the right operator (OR) of bacteriophage lambda DNA as does the lambda repressor. Dimethyl sulfate protection experiments reveal major groove contacts for both proteins, and cr...

S gene expression and the timing of lysis by bacteriophage lambda.

The S gene of bacteriophage lambda encodes the holin required for release of the R endolysin at the onset of phage-induced host lysis. S is the promoter-proximal gene on the single lambda late transcript and spans 107 codons. S has a novel translational initiation region with dual start codons, resulting in the production of two protein products, S105 and S107. Although differing only by the Me...

Control of transcription of the repressor gene in bacteriophage lambda.

The rate of transcription of the structural gene for repressor (cI gene) in bacteriophage lambda is controlled by the amount of active repressor in the cell. When the (reversibly) thermolabile repressor in a bacterium lysogenic for lambdacI(857) is inactivated by heat, the rate of repressor gene transcription immediately falls. If the repressor is renatured, synthesis of repressor messenger is ...

Genetic map of bacteriophage lambda.

In vivo gene delivery and expression by bacteriophage lambda vectors

AIMS Bacteriophage vectors have potential as gene transfer and vaccine delivery vectors because of their low cost, safety and physical stability. However, little is known concerning phage-mediated gene transfer in mammalian hosts. We therefore performed experiments to examine phage-mediated gene transfer in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS Mice were inoculated with recombinant lambda phage containin...