Bacteriophage Entry
Bacteriophage Entry
To the tune of “All My Ghosts” by Lizzy McAlpine
[Verse 1]
Virions of bacteriophage
Don’t enter the cell at any stage
They only inject their genetic material
[Verse 2]
The tip of the tail of phage
Contains lysozyme which degrades
The peptidoglycan cell wall locally
[Chorus]
DNA is ejected
From the phage into the cell
The host proton motive force is needed
For the phage to drive its
Genetic material
Into the cell
[Verse 3]
It is impossible
To get the capsid bulk
Through the cell wall without killing the host cell
[Chorus]
DNA is ejected
From the phage into the cell
The host proton motive force is needed
For the phage to drive its
Genetic material
Into the cell
[Bridge]
Bacteriophage
Are diverse and abundant
Bacteriophage
Are highly specific
Bacteriophage
Bacteria can evolve
A resistance to phages
[Outro]
Virions of bacteriophage
Don’t enter the cell at any stage
They only inject their genetic material
DNA is ejected
From the phage into the cell
The host proton motive force is needed
For the phage to drive its
Genetic material
Into the cell
