Peculiarities of the DNA of MM1, a temperate phage of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Authors

  • Virginia Obregón Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Center, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. Present address: Bioferma, Cartagena (Murcia), Spain
  • José L. García Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Center, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
  • Ernesto García Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Center, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
  • Rubens López Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Center, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
  • Pedro García Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Center, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Keywords:

pneumococcus, DNA-protein complex, pac site, temperate phages

Abstract

The abundant presence of temperate phages in the chromosomes of clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been well documented. The genome of MM1, a temperate phage of pneumococcus, has been isolated as a DNA-protein complex. The protein is covalently bound to the DNA, was iodinated in vitro with Na125I, and has an Mr of 22,000. Electron microscopy and enzymatic analyses revealed that the MM1 genome is a linear, circularly permuted, terminally redundant collection of double-stranded DNA molecules packaged via a headful mechanism. The location of the pac site appears to be downstream of the terminase, between orf32 and orf34 of the MM1 genome. [Int Microbiol 2004; 7(2):133-137]

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Published

2010-02-28

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Section

Research Articles