Single-cell burst size estimates

Bacteriophage burst size is the average number of phage virions released from infected bacterial cells, and its magnitude depends on the duration of an intracellular progeny accumulation phase. Burst size is often measured at the population, not single-cell, level, and consequently, statistical moments are not commonly available. In this study, we estimated the bacteriophage lambda (λ) single-cell burst size mean and variance following different length intracellular accumulation periods by employing E. coli lysogens bearing lysis-deficient λ prophages. Single lysogens can be isolated and chemically lysed at desired times following prophage induction to quantify progeny intracellular accumulation within individual cells. Our data show that λ phage burst size initially increased exponentially with increased lysis time (i.e., period between induction and chemical lysis), and then saturated at longer lysis times. We also demonstrated that cell-to-cell variation or “noise” in lysis timing di..., Bacteriophage burst size is the average number of phage virions released from infected bacterial cells, and its magnitude depends on the duration of an intracellular progeny accumulation phase. Burst size is often measured at the population, not single-cell, level, and consequently, statistical moments are not commonly available. In this study, we estimated the bacteriophage lambda (λ) single-cell burst size mean and variance following different length intracellular accumulation periods by employing E. coli lysogens bearing lysis-deficient λ prophages. Single lysogens can be isolated and chemically lysed at desired times following prophage induction to quantify progeny intracellular accumulation within individual cells. Our data show that λ phage burst size initially increased exponentially with increased lysis time (i.e., period between induction and chemical lysis), and then saturated at longer lysis times. We also demonstrated that cell-to-cell variation or “noise” in lysis timing di...,