DNA replication of bacteriophage ∅29: Isolation of a DNA-protein complex from Bacillus subtilis cells infected with wild-type and with a suppressor-sensitive mutant

Abstract

Phage DNA synthesis was measured in Bacillus subtilis cells infected with wild-type bacteriophage ∅29 and several suppressor-sensitive mutants of ∅29. Radioactively labeled phage DNA was isolated from cells infected with ∅29 and sus4(369), which has a mutation in an early gene controlling late protein synthesis. The phage DNA synthesized after infection by either phage was the same size as DNA isolated from mature phage particles, and contained tightly bound protein associated with the ends of the molecule. These results suggested that the protein associated with ∅29 DNA may be specified by an early gene and that production of phage particles is not required for synthesis of mature DNA or for association of the protein with the DNA.