What is the Difference Between T2 and T4 Bacteriophage?

The T2 and T4 bacteriophages are both viruses that infect Escherichia coli bacteria, but they have some differences in their genetic makeup and structure. The main differences between T2 and T4 bacteriophages are:

1. DNA Topo II enzyme coding: T2 bacteriophage has two genes, 39 and 60, to code the DNA Topo II enzyme, while T4 bacteriophage has three genes, 39, 60, and 52, to code the DNA Topo II enzyme.
2. Tail complexity: The tail portion of the T2 bacteriophage is less complex compared to the tail of the T4 bacteriophage.

Despite these differences, both T2 and T4 bacteriophages share some common characteristics:

• They are both viruses that infect E. coli bacteria.
• They have double-stranded DNA.
• Both bacteriophages undergo a lytic cycle, causing the death of the bacterial host cell.
• They hijack the bacterial cell mechanism to produce viral proteins.

Both T2 and T4 bacteriophages are examples of T-even phages, which are a group of E. coli-infecting bacteriophages that share some common features, such as having a double-stranded DNA genome with a length of 170 kbp and terminally repeated sequences.

Comparative Table: T2 vs T4 Bacteriophage

Here is a table summarizing the differences and similarities between T2 and T4 bacteriophages:

Similarities:

• Both are viruses that infect Escherichia coli (E. coli)
• They have double-stranded DNA
• Both undergo a lytic cycle causing the death of the bacterium
• They hijack the bacterial cell mechanism to produce viral proteins

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