Lizogén

Lizogén refers to a specific type of bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria. Unlike lytic phages, which immediately replicate and lyse (burst) the host cell, lysogenic phages integrate their genetic material into the bacterial chromosome. This integrated viral DNA is called a prophage.

When a bacteriophage enters the lysogenic cycle, its DNA is injected into the bacterium. Instead of initiating replication, the phage DNA incorporates itself into the host's DNA, often at specific integration sites. The bacterium then replicates normally, and the prophage is passed down to daughter cells.

Under certain conditions, such as stress or exposure to UV radiation, the prophage can be induced to excise itself from the bacterial chromosome and enter the lytic cycle. This leads to the production of new phage particles and the eventual lysis of the host cell. This process is known as induction.

Lysogeny is a common phenomenon in bacterial populations and plays a significant role in bacterial evolution. The presence of a prophage can confer new traits to the host bacterium, a process called lysogenic conversion. For example, some pathogenic bacteria acquire their virulence factors through lysogenic conversion. The study of lysogeny is important for understanding viral-bacterial interactions and for applications in biotechnology, such as phage therapy.