
Enterobacteria phage T2 is a
virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...
that infects and kills ''
E. coli''. It is in the genus ''
Tequatrovirus'', and the family ''
Myoviridae''. Its genome consists of linear double-stranded
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
, with repeats at either end. The phage is covered by a protective protein coat.
The T2 phage can quickly turn an ''E. coli'' cell into a T2-producing factory that releases phages when the cell ruptures.
Experiments
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into Causality, cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome o ...
conducted in 1952 by
Alfred Hershey and
Martha Chase demonstrated how the DNA of viruses is injected into the bacterial cells, while most of the viral proteins remain outside. The injected DNA molecules cause the bacterial cells to produce more viral DNA and proteins. These discoveries supported that DNA, rather than proteins, is the hereditary material.
The first phages that were studied in detail included seven that commonly infect ''E. coli.'' They were named Type 1 (T1), Type 2 (T2), etc., for easy reference; however, due to structural similarities between the T2, T4, and T6 bacteriophages, these are now commonly referred to as
T-Even phages.
The phage can attach to the surface of a bacterium using the proteins on its 'feet' (tail fibers), and inject its genetic material (either DNA or RNA). This genetic material uses the host cell's ribosomes to replicate, and synthesize proteins for the capsid and tail of the phage. New phages are assembled within the cell until the cellular membrane ''lyses'' (splits open). The newly made phages are now free to attack more cells. This process is known as the
Lytic cycle.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enterobacteria Phage T2
Myoviridae
Infraspecific virus taxa
T-phages