This page discusses φX174, a bacteriophage that infects E. coli and has a single-stranded circular DNA genome of 5386 nucleotides. It was the first DNA genome sequenced in 1976 and creatively uses ove...This page discusses φX174, a bacteriophage that infects E. coli and has a single-stranded circular DNA genome of 5386 nucleotides. It was the first DNA genome sequenced in 1976 and creatively uses overlapping genes to encode more proteins than its limited genome would suggest. Upon infection, its DNA is transcribed into mRNA, producing 11 proteins, four of which form new virions. Additionally, φX174 was the first chemically synthesized viral genome that can create infectious viruses.
