MGY377H1 Midterm: Study notes for midterm
26 Dec 2011
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Document Summary
Can have either dna or rna: single or double stranded, linear or circular. Phages are most abundant biological entities on the planet. Most bacterial genomes contain phage dna in the form of prophages. Huge number of sequenced phage genomes from freely living phage and prophages provides a huge resource for bioinformatics. Phage or parts of phage can be used to treat bacterial disease. Carry genes in their own genomes that alter bacterial physiology sometimes improving fitness. Can transfer genes from one strain to another transduction. Bacteria have primitive immune systems to recognize phage arms race. Phage have highly diverse mechanisms of doing what they need to do and have provided many of the tools we use in molecular biology. Plaque assay: soft agar top allow bacteria to spread into even lawn and phage to diffuse freely. Infected bacterium lyses and release hundreds of phage, which subsequently infect adjacent bacteria: can quantify initial suspension as one phage forms one plaque.
