Bacteriophage Ecology Group

Bacteriophage Ecology Group Bacteriophage Ecology Group

Lysogenization

Reduction by a temperate phage to a prophage, giving rise to a lysogenic cycle.

Lysogenization is a relatively brief process during which prophage presence within a bacterium is established whereas (and by contrast) a lysogenic infection (as equivalent to lysogenic cycle) either consists of or includes the ongoing symbiosis between prophage and infected bacterium that follows lysogenization. The concept of lysogenization contrasts with that of an immediately productive infection as well as reduction to pseudolysogeny.

Here I do not distinguish between lysogenization and what I describe as a reduction to lysogeny. This perspective is similar to that of Lwoff (1953, Lysogeny. Bacteriol. Rev. 17, 269-337), "Reduction of bacteriophage: Conversion of the infecting phage into prophage".

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