Overproduction of an antisense RNA containing the oop RNA sequence of bacteriophage lambda induces clear plaque formation.
We have constructed an IPTG-inducible plasmid which overexpresses oop RNA sequences in Escherichia coli. Infection of these transformed E. coli cells (SB221/pOOP5) with lambda+ phage produced clear plaques, whereas lambda+ infection of cells transformed with the plasmid vector (SB221/pJDC406) or the plasmid expressing the oop RNA transcript in the other orientation (SB221/pOOP9) gave rise to turbid plaques characteristic of lambda+. Calculations of the percentage of infected cells forming lysogens show a 6-fold decrease in the absence of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) and a 20-fold decrease in the presence of IPTG for SB221/pOOP5 as compared to both SB221/pJDC406 and SB221/pOOP9. We have thus shown that the overexpression of oop RNA favors the lytic mode of lambda development.
D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D008242:Lysogeny; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012313:RNA