Lecture 17 Flashcards
What are turbid plaques formed by?
Due to lysogens being immune to further infections
What did clear plaques indicate?
No lysogeny
What does CI ensure?
That no other phage can integrate. Gives the lysogen ‘immunity’
Which C protein maintains the prophage?
CI
CI is =
A repressor of all phage genes but an activator of itself. It keeps the phage genome
(Switching to lytic growth)
What are the two switch positions?
- Lysogeny = CI ON / Cro OFF (maintenance)
2. Lytic = CI OFF / Cro ON (induction)
What are the DNA components of the switch
- 3 operator sites
- 2 promotors
(Components of the switch - DNA)
Genes CI and Cro are transcribed ….
Divergently
(Components of the switch - DNA)
Between the genes, what sites are contained?
- Operator (binds CI and Cro)
2. Promotor (binds RNAP)
(Components of the switch - DNA)
How many operator sites are there for CI and Cro?
Three
-These overlap the promotors
(Components of the switch - DNA)
How many promotor sites are there for RNAP? Do these promotors overlap?
- Two
1. Prm (lysogenic)
2. Pr (lytic) - No they don’t overlap
(Components of the switch - RNAP)
What sites will RNAP bind to?
To either Pr or Prm, but never both
(Components of the switch - RNAP)
What type of promotor is Pr and describe its relationship to regulatory proteins
It is a strong promotor and therefore doesn’t require regulatory proteins
(Components of the switch - RNAP)
If there are no regulatory proteins around, where will RNAP bind to?
Pr
-Shows the default pathway is in this direction (lytic)
(Components of the switch - RNAP)
What type of promotor is Prm and describe its relationship to regulatory proteins
It needs CI as an activator due to its weakness as a promotor
Are operator sites identical?
No, they are similar but not identical so CI and Cro can distinguish between them. This is due to different affinities and binding