viruses Article Intravirion DNA Can Access the Space Occupied by the Bacteriophage P22 Ejection Proteins Justin C. Leavitt 1,†, Eddie B. Gilcrease 2,‡, Brianna M. Woodbury 3, Carolyn M. Teschke 3,4,* and Sherwood R. Casjens 1,2,* 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
[email protected] 2 Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
[email protected] 3 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
[email protected] 4 Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA * Correspondence:
[email protected] (C.M.T.);
[email protected] (S.R.C.); Tel.: +1-860-486-4282 (C.M.T.); +1-801-712-2038 (S.R.C.) † Current address: Hamit-Darwin-Freesh, Inc., Dammeron Valley, UT 84783, USA. ‡ Current address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Abstract: Tailed double-stranded DNA bacteriophages inject some proteins with their dsDNA during infection. Phage P22 injects about 12, 12, and 30 molecules of the proteins encoded by genes 7, 16 and 20, respectively. After their ejection from the virion, they assemble into a trans-periplasmic conduit through which the DNA passes to enter the cytoplasm. The location of these proteins in the virion before injection is not well understood, although we recently showed they reside near the portal Citation: Leavitt, J.C.; Gilcrease, E.B.; protein barrel in DNA-filled heads.