Can Changes in Temperature or Ionic Conditions Modify the DNA Organization in the Full Bacteriophage Capsid?

Marta De Frutos (1) , Amélie Leforestier (1) , Jéril Degrouard (1) , Nebraska Zambrano (1) , Frank Wien (2) , Pascale Boulanger (3) , Sandrine Brasilès (3) , Madalena Renouard (3) , Dominique Durand (3) , Françoise Livolant (1)

1 LPS - Laboratoire de Physique des Solides
2 SSOLEIL - Synchrotron SOLEIL
3 T5PHAG - Bactériophage T5

We compared four bacteriophage species, T5, λ, T7, and Φ29, to explore the possibilities of DNA reorganization in the capsid where the chain is highly concentrated and confined. First, we did not detect any change in DNA organization as a function of temperature between 20 to 40 °C. Second, the presence of spermine (4+) induces a significant enlargement of the typical size of the hexagonal domains in all phages. We interpret these changes as a reorganization of DNA by slight movements of defects in the structure, triggered by a partial screening of repulsive interactions. We did not detect any signal characteristic of a long-range chiral organization of the encapsidated DNA in the presence and in the absence of spermine.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Marta De Frutos, Amélie Leforestier, Jéril Degrouard, Nebraska Zambrano, Frank Wien, et al.. Can Changes in Temperature or Ionic Conditions Modify the DNA Organization in the Full Bacteriophage Capsid?. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2016, ⟨10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b01783⟩. ⟨hal-01340679⟩