Bacteriophage
Types:
In general, there are two types of phages,
lytic or lysogenic. Only lytic phages are useful for developing
therapeutic phage preparations. Lytic phages multiply inside the
bacterial cell and release new phages, thus lysing the host bacterial
cell in the process. In contrast, lysogenic phages integrate their DNA
into the host bacterial DNA creating a prophage, which can escape and
integrate into the DNA of another bacterial cell through transduction.
Such phages are inappropriate for use as therapeutic phages because
they can foster the transfer of virulence genes, and those mediating
resistance to antibiotics, from one bacterium to another.
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