Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2024
Abstract
In 1952, Hershey and Chase used bacteriophage T2 genome delivery inside Escherichia coli to demonstrate that DNA, not protein, is the genetic material. Over 70 years later, our understanding of bacteriophage structure has grown dramatically, mainly thanks to the cryogenic electron microscopy revolution. In stark contrast, phage genome delivery in prokaryotes remains poorly understood, mainly due to the inherent challenge of studying such a transient and complex process. Here, we review the current literature on viral genome delivery across bacterial cell surfaces. We focus on icosahedral bacterial viruses that we arbitrarily sort into three groups based on the presence and size of a tail apparatus. We inventory the building blocks implicated in genome delivery and critically analyze putative mechanisms of genome ejection. Bacteriophage genome delivery into bacteria is a topic of growing interest, given the renaissance of phage therapy in Western medicine as a therapeutic alternative to face the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Recommended Citation
Iglesias, Stephano M.; Li, Fenglin; Briani, Federica; and Cingolani, Gino, "Viral Genome Delivery Across Bacterial Cell Surfaces" (2024). Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers. Paper 273.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/bmpfp/273
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
38986128
Language
English
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 78, Issue 1, November 2024, Pages 125 - 145.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-micro-041222-124727.
Copyright © 2024 by the author(s)