Molecular biology
VIRION
Nonenveloped, head-tail structure. The head is about 60 nm in diameter and consists of 72 capsomers. Tails are flexible with one short fiber and four long fibers.
GENOME
Linear, dsDNA genome of about 48 kb, containing about 70 genes.

GENE EXPRESSION
REPLICATION
CYTOPLASMIC
- Adsorption: the phage attaches to target cell trhough its tail fibers.
- Viral lysozyme degrades cell wall locally
- Injection: viral DNA is injected in host cell periplasm
- DNA genome is circularized or integrated into host chromosome
- Transcription and traduction of early genes
- Replication of genomic DNA
- Transcription and traduction of late genes
- Assembly of new virions in host cell cytoplasm
- Mature virions are released from the cell by lysis



