title: Single-Cell Studies of Phage λ: Hidden Treasures Under Occam's Rug.
abstract: Studies over more than half a century have resulted in what some consider a complete narrative for the life cycle of bacteriophage λ. However, this narrative is only complete within the limited resolution offered by the traditional genetic and biochemical approaches that were used to create it. A recent series of studies performed at the single-cell and single-phage levels has revealed a wealth of previously unknown features. By pointing to many open questions, these new studies highlight the limitations of our current understanding of λ, but they also initiate the process of forming a more detailed and quantitative narrative for the system.
authors.affiliation: Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030; email: golding@bcm.edu.|Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005.|Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Golding
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000235:genetics; D008242:Lysogeny / Q000235:genetics*; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000235:genetics
keywords: Escherichia coli; decision-making; fluorescence microscopy; lysis; lysogeny; noise; phage lambda; systems biology