VIRION

Nonenveloped, head-tail structure. The head is about 60 nm in diameter. The tail is non-contractile, very flexible with 4 short terminal fibers.

GENOME

Linear, dsDNA genome of about 50 kb, containing about 80 genes.

GENE EXPRESSION

REPLICATION

CYTOPLASMIC

1. Adsorption: the phage attaches to target cell trhough its tail fibers.
2. Viral lysozyme degrades cell wall locally
3. Injection: viral DNA is injected in host cell periplasm
4. DNA genome is circularized or integrated into host chromosome
5. Transcription and traduction of early genes
6. Replication of genomic DNA
7. Transcription and traduction of late genes
8. Assembly of new virions in host cell cytoplasm
9. Mature virions are released from the cell by lysis