The morphogenetic signal of bacteriophage f1

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 130; no. 1; pp. 252 - 256
• Main Authors: Dotto, Gian Paolo, Zinder, Norton D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 15.10.1983; Elsevier
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Coliphages - genetics; Coliphages - growth & development; Coliphages - metabolism; DNA, Single-Stranded - biosynthesis; DNA, Viral - biosynthesis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Viral; Genetics; Microbiology; Morphogenesis; phage f1; Plasmids; Virology; Morphogenesis; Bactériophage f1; Virion; Gene expression; DNA; Processing
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/0042-6822(83)90136-8

The genome of the single-stranded DNA phage fl contains an intergenic region (IG), 508-nucleotides long, that does not code for any known protein. By use of a system of chimeric plasmids haboring different fl fragments, we had previously shown that this region contains, in addition to the fl “functional origin” of DNA replication, a signal of less than 300 nucleotides required for efficient morphogenesis to occur (“morphogenetic signal”). In the present study, we have localized this signal to within a sequence of less than 60 nucleotides of almost perfect palindromic symmetry at the gene IV/IG border. We also present data indicating that the morphogenetic signal is not necessary for the synthesis of single-stranded DNA, but is necessary only at some later step during virion maturation.