Miniphage-a class of satellite phage to M13

Construction of a microphage variant of filamentous bacteriophage

The intergenic region in the genome of the Ff class of filamentous phage (comprising strains fl, fd and M13) genome constitutes 8% of the viral genome, and has essential functions in DNA replication and phage morphogenesis. The functional domains of this region may be inserted into separate sites of a plasmid to function independently. Here, we demonstrate the construction of a plasmid containing, sequentially, the origin of (+)-strand synthesis, the packaging signal and a terminator of (+)-strand synthesis. When host cells harboring this plasmid (pLS7) are infected with helper phage they produce a microphage particle containing all the structural elements of the mature, native phage. The microphage is 65 A in diameter and about 500 A long. It contains a 221-base single-stranded circle of DNA coated by about 95 copies of the major coat protein (gene 8 protein).

Spontaneous deletion mutants of bacteriophage Pf3: mapping of signals involved in replication and assembly

Defective deletion mutants (miniphages) arise spontaneously during serial propagation of the filamentous bacteriophage Pf3. They contain a circular single-stranded (ss) DNA molecule which is up to 80% smaller than the wild-type single-stranded genome. Analysis of the genomic structure of three of these miniphages revealed that they consist of sequences that in the wild-type genome are flanked by direct repeats 5-8 nucleotides long; only one copy of these repeats was found again in the miniphage genome. One miniphage genome contained a tandemly duplicated sequence, and from its structure we concluded that the duplication had occurred after a primary deletion event. Also, short direct repeats must have been involved in the duplication process. We conclude that the deletion and duplication events have occurred by an identical recombination process, probably the "slipped mispairing" mechanism. In the presence of helper functions, the three miniphage genomes are replicated and assembled into ssDNA containing virus-like particles. Hence, the assembly signal and the replication origins for viral and complementary strand synthesis are located within the region shared by all three miniphage genomes, i.e., nucleotides 4092-4678 of the wild-type genome (Luiten et al., 1985).

Co-evolution of a filamentous bacteriophage and its defective interfering particles

Serial passage of bacteriophage f1 at high multiplicities of infection results in the appearance of defective deletion mutants (miniphage) that harbor a tandem reiteration of regions of the f1 genome near the origin of DNA replication. These miniphage interfere with the growth of wild-type f1, and cause a sharp decrease of the viable phage titer. Upon further passage, however, the titer increases again. Viable phage variants (maxiphage) appear which harbor the same tandem reiteration of DNA as the miniphage. The maxiphage are more resistant than the wild type to interference by the miniphage. In the absence of miniphage the maxiphage grow at the same rate as the wild type. The structure of the DNA reiteration gradually changes during further passage. Miniphage and maxiphage follow, in parallel, a similar course of changes in the pattern of reiteration. In miniphage the reiterations change while the deletions are conserved. Serial passage of maxiphage quickly yields miniphage, which harbor a reiteration identical to that of the parental maxiphage. Both reiteration and deletion are relevant to the mechanism of interference by miniphage. Thus serial passage of the filamentous phage affords an experimental system to study evolution of a DNA genome in test tubes. Possible mechanisms of the interference by miniphage are discussed.

Origin of DNA replication of bacteriophage f1 as the signal for termination

Restriction fragments that contain the origin of DNA replication of bacteriophage f1 were inserted in vitro into circular f1 DNA molecules to form genomes that contain two origins. This DNA was used to transfect Escherichia coli. Analyses of the DNA of the progeny phage indicated that one origin and the DNA segment located between the two origins in the infecting DNA molecules had been eliminated. This result is interpreted to mean that the nucleotide sequence of the origin for plus (viral)-strand synthesis also serves as the signal for the termination of DNA synthesis.