Localization of Membrane Protein Synthesized After Infection with Bacteriophage T4

Abstract

The synthesis of membrane protein after infection with bacteriophage T4 was examined. Protein constituents of both the cytoplasmic and outer membrane are made during the infective cycle. In addition, newly synthesized membrane protein is found in material which has a buoyant density greater than that of either of the two host membrane fractions. Polyacrylamide gel analyses and solubilization studies using the detergent Sarkosyl indicate that synthesis of most of the membrane proteins made during the first 5 min of infection is directed by bacterial genes. New membrane proteins synthesized at times greater than 6 min after infection appear to be distinct from those of the host, and new proteins of the outer membrane are different from those of the inner. Proteins in the new dense membrane fraction are similar to those of the outer membrane.

Alteration of the Escherichia coli membrane by addition of bacteriophage T4 protein synthesized after infection

“…Extraction of membranes with Sarkosyl selectively extracts membrane proteins without affecting those of the cell wall (1,12,13). Conse-quently, this agent can be used to discriminate between cytoplasmic membrane (Sarkosyl-soluble) and cell wall (Sarkosyl-insoluble) proteins.…”

“…For example, 1-lactate dehydrogenase is solubilized by chaotropic agents (20). Subsequent extraction of guanidinetreated membranes with the detergent Sarkosyl selectively extracts the cytoplasmic membrane proteins without affecting those of the cell wall (1,12,13).…”

“…Because of the interest in the host membrane as a dynamic structure involved in T4 synthesis, we initiated a study several years ago to identify the proteins associated with the membrane after infection. Previously, we showed that the rIlA (9) and nIB (21,32) proteins were membrane bound and, subsequently, other T4 membrane-associated proteins were identified (1,13,16,22,28). In the present investigation, we further catalog the appearance on the E. coli membrane of T4-coded proteins synthesized after infection.…”

Bacteriophage proteins associated with the bacterial membrane after bacteriophage T7 infection

“…LITERATURE CITED 1. Beckey, A. D., J. L. Wulff, and C. F. Earhart. 1974. Early synthesis of membrane protein after bacteriophage T4 infection.…”

“…However, until recently little had been done to establish the cellular location of these proteins. Recent work on T4 and, to a lesser extent, on T5 has shown that many phage-induced proteins are associated with the host envelope (1, 4,6,9,10,14,15,18,20).…”