Mechanism of termination of bacteriophage DNA packaging investigated with optical tweezers

Damian J. delToro; Douglas E. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.930425

10 October 2012 Mechanism of termination of bacteriophage DNA packaging investigated with optical tweezers

Damian J. delToro, Douglas E. Smith

Proceedings Volume 8458, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation IX; 84582O (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930425
Event: SPIE NanoScience + Engineering, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The genomes of many dsDNA viruses are replicated by a mechanism that produces a long concatemer of multiple genomes. These viruses utilize multifunctional molecular motor complexes referred to as "terminases" that can excise a unit genome length of DNA and package it into preformed viral shells. Remarkably, the terminase motor can initiate packaging at the appropriate start point, translocate DNA, sense when a sufficient length has been packaged, and then switch into a mode where it arrests and cleaves the DNA to release a filled virus particle. We have recently developed an improved method to measure single phage lambda DNA packaging using dual-trap optical tweezers and pre-stalled motor-DNA-procapsid complexes. We are applying this method to test proposed mechanisms for the sensor that triggers termination; specifically a velocity-monitor model vs. energy-monitor model vs. capsid-filling monitor model.

Citation Download Citation

Damian J. delToro and Douglas E. Smith "Mechanism of termination of bacteriophage DNA packaging investigated with optical tweezers", Proc. SPIE 8458, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation IX, 84582O (10 October 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930425

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