VIRION
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Non-enveloped, head-tail structure. The head is about 53 nm in diameter and consists of 72 capsomers. Tails are flexible, about 100 nm in length and 5 nm in width, with 4 tail fibers ended by terminal knobs. The baseplate is about 15 nm in diameter.
GENOME
Linear, dsDNA genome of about 43 kb, encoding about 50 proteins, with cohesive ends (10 nucleotides protruding at the 3'end).
GENE EXPRESSION
REPLICATION
CYTOPLASMIC
- Adsorption: The phage attaches to target cell adhesion receptors through its tail fibers.
- Ejection of the viral DNA into host cell cytoplasm by long flexible tail ejection system.
- Transcription and translation of early genes.
- Replication of genomic DNA.
- Transcription and translation of late genes
- Assembly of an empty procapsid and packaging of the genome.
- Viral tail fiber assembly and viral tail assembly.
- Mature virions are released from the cell by lysis.