title: Propagation of fluorescent viruses in growing plaques.
abstract: To study virus propagation, we have developed a method by which the propagation of the Lambda bacteriophage can be observed and quantified. This is done by creating a fusion protein of the capsid protein gpD and the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP). We show that this fusion allows capsid formation and that the modified viruses propagate on a surface covered with host bacteria thus forming fluorescent plaques. The intensity of fluorescence in a growing plaque determines the distribution of phages. This provides a new tool to study the propagation of infection at the microscopic level.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomen
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makushok
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatenay
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D019076:Transgenes; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C406073:gpD protein, lambda phage; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins