Circular permutation

[Ulrich Melcher]

Nick Moody <nicholas.moody at jcu.edu.au> wrote:
>Could someone please explain cyclic permutation of phages ie. T4 and P22?
>
The linear nucleic acids in phage particles can be thought of as:
__________________________________________________
  a     b     c   d    e f     g h    i   a    b
	         __________________________________________________
              c   d    e f     g h    i   a    b    c
	                  __________________________________________________
                       e f     g h    i   a    b    c   d     e f

and so on.
Note the terminal reduncancy of markers.
If you think about this genetically, you will see that every marker turns out linked to one on its left and one on its right.  The genetic map has no end and is circular.

Hope that helps.


Ulrich Melcher                 umelcher at bmb-fs1.biochem.okstate.edu
Department of Biochemistry
  and Molecular Biology        Tel: 405-744-6210
246 NRC                        FAX: 405-744-7799
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater OK 74078-3035 USA