Life cycle of a lysogenic phage

• the lysogenic process does not involve destruction of the bacterium

• phage injects its nucleic acid into bacterium but does not enter the lytic cycle. rather, it enters the lysogenic cycle

• the phage’s nucleic acid is incorporated into the bacterial chromosome

• the integrated DNA is basically passed on from bacterial generation to bacterial generation

• most lysogenic phages have a mechanism by which they can escape from the lysogenic cycle—they can turn on the lytic genes and hence produce progeny phages

• lysogenic phages are found in the bacteria causing the diseases of cholera and diphtheria

• O157:H7 has a lysogenic phage encoding a Shiga-like toxin, and again this is what cause the hemolytic-uremic syndrome

Category: Microbiology Notes