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The Phage 29 Membrane Protein p16.7, Involved in DNA Replication, Is Required for Efficient Ejection of the Viral Genome

Martín Alcorlo, Víctor González-Huici, José M. Hermoso, Wilfried J. J. Meijer, and Margarita Salas^*

Instituto de Biología Molecular Eladio Viñuela (CSIC), Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain

Received 19 March 2007/ Accepted 14 May 2007

It is becoming clear that in vivo phage DNA ejection is not a mere passive process. In most cases, both phage and host proteins seem to be involved in pulling at least part of the viral DNA inside the cell. The DNA ejection mechanism of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage 29 is a two-step process where the linear DNA penetrates the cell with a right-left polarity. In the first step 65% of the DNA is pushed into the cell. In the second step, the remaining DNA is actively pulled into the cytoplasm. This step requires protein p17, which is encoded by the right-side early operon that is ejected during the first push step. The membrane protein p16.7, also encoded by the right-side early operon, is known to play an important role in membrane-associated phage DNA replication. In this work we show that, in addition, p16.7 is required for efficient execution of the second pull step of DNA ejection.

Published ahead of print on 25 May 2007.

Present address: Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy.

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