Chapter VII - The Comparative Chemistry of Infective Virus Particles and Their Functional Activity: T2 and other Bacterial Viruses

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the comparative chemistry of infective virus particles and their functional activity. It also describes the heterogeneity of viruses. Study of the process of replication in the bacterial viruses has led to an increasing amount of information indicating different physiological functions for various portions of the viral protein coat. There are five components of the bacterial protein shield: (1) the protein sheath of the head, (2) a protein of the proximal portion of the tail, having possible contractile functions in viral invasion, (3) a protein of the proximal portion of the tail, possessing lytic activity for bacterial cell walls, (4) a protein of the distal portion of the tail, serving as the agent for the initial attachment of the virus to the bacterial host, and (5) the protein of the so-called core structure of the tail of the viral particle. A variety of techniques exist for the isolation of the DNA of the bacterial viruses. The further analysis of viral DNA involves acid or enzymatic hydrolysis and separation and determination of the liberated nucleic acid components, either by chromatographic procedures or specific reagents.