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Molecular biology

VIRION

Nonenveloped, head-tail structure. The head is about 80 nm in diameter. The tail is relatively rigid and possesses 6 club-shaped terminal spikes.

GENOME

Linear, dsDNA genome of about 134 kb, containing about 187 genes.

GENE EXPRESSION

REPLICATION

CYTOPLASMIC

1. Adsorption: the phage attach to target cell trhough its tail fibers.
2. Viral lysozyme degrades cell wall locally
3. Injection: viral DNA is injected in host cell periplasm by contraction of the tail
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