Transcription During the Development of Bacteriophage φ29: Definition of “Early” and “Late” φ29 Ribonucleic Acid

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Abstract
Bacteriophage φ29 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) production following infection of Bacillus subtilis has been analyzed. Early ( e ) φ29 RNA, made prior to the onset of phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication and exclusively from the light (L) φ29 DNA strand, has been shown by RNA-DNA hybridization-competition experiments to be present throughout the phage latent period. No repression of e RNA production during φ29 development could be demonstrated. Unmodified host RNA polymerase molecules appear to be sufficient for the synthesis of e RNA since phage-specific RNA made in the presence of chloramphenicol hybridizes only to the L strand of φ29 DNA, and this RNA can be effectively competed during hybridization by e RNA. The appearance of late ( l ) φ29 RNA is coincident with the onset of viral DNA replication. This RNA consists of L DNA strand transcripts which are identical to e RNA and a new class of mRNAs made exclusively from the “heavy” (H) φ29 DNA strand ( l H). Protein synthesis in infected cells is required for l H RNA production. Studies with the antibiotic rifamycin demonstrated that synthesis of the major φ29 structural proteins is dependent on production of l H RNA.

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