Function of gene 49 of bacteriophage T4. II. Analysis of intracellular development and the structure of very fast-sedimenting DNA.

With the exception of mutants in gene 49, all mutants in phage T4 defective in the process of head filling accumulate a normal replicative DNA intermediate of 200S. Mutants in gene 49 produce a very fast-sedimenting (VFS) DNA with s values of greater than 1,000S. The intracellular development of the VFS-DNA generated in gene 49-defective phage-infected cells was followed by sedimentation analysis of crude lysates on neutral sucrose gradients. It was observed that the production of a 200S replicative intermediate is one step in the development of VFS-DNA. After restoring permissive conditions the development of the VFS-DNA can be reversed, but the 200S form is not regenerated under these conditions. The process of head filling can take place from the VFS-DNA under permissive conditions. From the absence of other components in the VFS-DNA complexes, its high resistance to shearing, its resistance against the attack of the single-strand-specific nuclease S1, and from its appearance in the electron microscope, a complex structure of tightly packed DNA is inferred. The demonstration by the electron microscope of branched DNA structures sometimes closely related to partially filled heads is taken in support of the idea that the process of head filling in gene 49-defective phage-infected cells is blocked by some steric hindrance in the DNA. In light of these results, the role of gene 49 is discussed as a control function for the clearance of these structures. A fixation procedure for cross-linking of gene 49-defective heads to the VFS-DNA allowed us to study progressive stages in the process of head filling. Electron microscopic evidence is presented which suggests that during the initial events the DNA accumulates in the vertexes of the head.