Circularization in Mu DNA

Circularization in Mu DNA

Circularization in Mu DNA -

All temperate bacteriophages have a linear dsDNA genome which is converted into the circular form on infection. This is brought about in two ways in bacteriophages.

(i) In phages like lambda and P2 the 5' end of the DNA has complementary single stranded sequences (sticky or cohesive ends).

(ii) Phages like PI and P22 have terminal duplications that can recombine to give circles.

The Mu phage bas neither cohesive ends nor terminally repetitious sequences. It has heterogenous sequences of host DNA which differ from molecule to molecule. Because of this it does not have any direct means of fusing its ends. It was hence believed that it cannot undergo circularization.

Waggoner, Pato and Taylor (1977), have, however, proposed that the: Mu integrative precursor

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