Open AccessThe life cycles of the temperate lactococcal bacteriophage φLC3 monitored by a quantitative PCR method
Author(s) -
Lunde Merete,
Blatny Janet Martha,
Kaper Fiona,
Nes Ingolf F,
Lillehaug Dag
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09369.x
Subject(s) - lysogenic cycle , lytic cycle , bacteriophage , biology , lactococcus lactis , temperateness , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , genome , genetics , bacteria , virus , gene , escherichia coli , lactic acid
We present here a new and general approach for monitoring the life cycles of temperate bacteriophages which establish lysogeny by inserting their genomes site‐specifically into the bacterial host chromosome. The method is based on quantitative amplification of specific DNA sites involved in various cut‐and‐join events during the life cycles of the phages (i.e. the cos , attP , attB , attL and attR sites) with the use of sequence‐specific primers. By comparing the amounts of these specific DNA sites at different intervals, we were able to follow the development of the lytic and lysogenic life cycles of the temperate lactococcal bacteriophage φLC3 after infection of its bacterial host Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris IMN‐C18.