Eur. Phys. J. E (2007) 24: 9-18
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2007-10205-5

Regular Article

DNA ejection from bacteriophage: Towards a general behavior for osmotic-suppression experiments

¹ Laboratoire Joliot-Curie et Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon cedex 07, France
² Department of Biochemistry, Center of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden

^* e-mail: martin.castelnovo@ens-lyon.fr

Received: 5 April 2007
Accepted: 9 July 2007
Published online: 31 August 2007

Abstract

We present in this work in vitro measurements of the force ejecting DNA from two distinct bacteriophages (T5 and λ using the osmotic-suppression technique. Our data are analyzed by revisiting the current theories of DNA packaging in spherical capsids. In particular we show that a simplified analytical model based on bending considerations only is able to account quantitatively for the experimental findings. Physical and biological consequences are discussed.