title: Bacteriophage-host interactions leading to genome internalization.
abstract: Bacteriophage infection is initiated by binding of the virion to a specific receptor located on the host surface. The genome is then released from the capsid and delivered to the host cytoplasm. Our knowledge of these early steps of infection has recently improved. The three-dimensional structure of numerous receptor binding proteins of tailed phages has been solved. Cryo-electron tomography has allowed characterization of the phage-host interactions in a cellular context and at nanometric resolution. The localization and motions of fluorescently labelled phages, receptors and viral DNA were monitored on individual bacteria. Altogether these approaches have revealed the intricacy of these early events and emphasize the link between infection and microbial architecture.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biochimie Biophysique Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Univ Paris-Sud 11, UMR CNRS 8619, F- 91405, Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Frutos
authors.forename: Lucienne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Letellier
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D014054:Tomography; D053585:Virus Attachment; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D011991:Receptors, Virus