842-The Architecture of Intracellular Bacteriophage Assembly

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 packaging, a process that triggers the expansion of the viral head. Once filled with genetic material, the capsids move to the compartment's periphery to attach pre-assembled tails and finalize maturation. Ultimately, this work provides a comprehensive spatial timeline of how a virus reorganizes a host cell to coordinate the production of new infectious particles.References: Corroyer-Dulmont S, Labarde A, Pražák V, et al. Subcellular reorganization upon phage infection reveals stepwise assembly of viral particles from membrane-associated precursors[J]. Nature Communications, 2026.前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动