Studies on phage internal proteins: formation of internal protein T2 DNA complexes in vivo

Internal proteins, synthesized in T2 infected Escherichia coli B cells, were recovered from bacterial membranes during the early stages of infection. Approx. 15 min after the onset of infection, T2 and T4 internal proteins were released from the bacterial membranes and sedimented along with newly synthesized phage DNA. Internal protein DNA complexes were also obtained by chromatography on hydroxylapatite columns. Internal proteins were not released from bacterial membranes after infection with amber mutants defective in genes 21, 22 and 23. It has been suggested that these complexes are intermediates in T even phage morphogenesis.