LAMBDA LIKE PHAGES Meaning and
Definition
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Lambda-like phages are a group of bacteriophages that are characterized by their genetic similarity to the bacteriophage lambda. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. They have an elongated shape with a head and a tail, and they use their tail fibers to attach to specific receptors on the surface of bacterial cells.
Lambda-like phages belong to the family Siphoviridae, a family of temperate phages that have a long, noncontractile tail. These phages are named after the prototype phage lambda, which was first discovered and extensively studied in Escherichia coli bacteria.
Lambda-like phages have a linear double-stranded DNA genome that can range in size from 40 to 55 kilobases. Their genome contains a set of early genes, which regulate the phage's infection and replication cycle, and a set of late genes, which encode proteins involved in the phage's assembly into mature viral particles. These phages can either undergo a lytic cycle, where they actively replicate and eventually lyse the host cell, or enter a lysogenic cycle, where their DNA integrates into the host chromosome as a prophage and replicates along with the host's DNA.
Lambda-like phages play a significant role in the bacterial ecology by transferring genes between bacterial cells through the process known as transduction. This horizontal gene transfer can result in the acquisition of new traits by the bacterial host, such as antibiotic resistance or improved metabolic capabilities. They are also widely used as model genetic systems in molecular biology research due to their well-characterized genetics and ease of manipulation.
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