This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: biophysj.107.111526v1 93/4/L17    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sabanayagam, C. R. Articles by Black, L. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sabanayagam, C. R. Articles by Black, L. W.

Viral DNA Packaging Studied by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Chandran R. Sabanayagam ^* , Mark Oram ^*, Joseph R. Lakowicz ^*  and Lindsay W. Black ^*

^* Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Correspondence: Address reprint requests and inquiries to Chandran R. Sabanayagam, E-mail:chandran{at}cfs.umbi.umd.edu.

The DNA packaging machinery of bacteriophage T4 was studied in vitro using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The ATP-dependent translocation kinetics of labeled DNA from the bulk solution, to the phage interior, was measured by monitoring the accompanied decrease in DNA diffusibility. It was found that multiple short DNA fragments (100 basepairs) can be sequentially packaged by an individual phage prohead. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer between green fluorescent protein donors within the phage interior and acceptor-labeled DNA was used to confirm DNA packaging. Without ATP, no packaging was observed, and there was no evidence of substrate association with the prohead.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. N. Fuller, D. M. Raymer, V. I. Kottadiel, V. B. Rao, and D. E. Smith Single phage T4 DNA packaging motors exhibit large force generation, high velocity, and dynamic variability PNAS, October 23, 2007; 104(43): 16868 - 16873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]