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Bacteriocide Mode of Action Below, is an illustration created to portray a bacteriophage's lifestyle choices and how the toxin-phage bacteriocide antibiotic works (the illustrations also make interesting desktop pictures.) Toxin-phage Bacteriocide Antibiotic The phage infects the bacteria by injecting its DNA into the bacterial cell. Lytic Lysogenic The phage manufactures copies of itself. Toxin-phage Bacteriocide mode of action The phage DNA integrates into the bacteria's DNA upon infection. The phage DNA carries a gene for a toxic peptide that becomes active only after bacterial infection. The phage burst out and kill the bacteria, then go on to attack more of the same species of bacteria. The bacteria grow and reproduce normally while harboring the phage DNA. The bacteria produces a toxic peptide. The Toxin-phage Bacteriocide insures that the bacteria that become lysogenic are eradicated.

Photographs prepared by MaryAnn Nilsson