842-The Architecture of Intracellular Bacteriophage Assembly

Paper Talk · Apr 23, 2026 · 16m

This study utilizes advanced cellular electron cryo tomography to map the physical transformation of Bacillus subtilis bacteria during infection by the bacteriophage SPP1. Researchers discovered that the virus establishes a distinct DNA replication compartment that excludes host ribosomes, despite lacking a traditional membrane or shell. A critical finding is that viral assembly begins at the inner cell membrane, where the portal protein serves as a necessary anchor for early capsid precursors. These immature structures then migrate into the central viral zone to undergo stepwise DNA…