Which of the following statements about bacteriophage infection of bacteria is correct?

• A. Some bacteriophages can integrate their genome into the host without immediately lysing the cell.
• B. All bacteriophages cause chronic infections without killing the host cell.
• C. Bacteriophage infection always results in lysis of the host cell.
• D. Bacteriophages are incapable of integrating their DNA into bacterial chromosomes.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the life cycles of bacteriophages. Bacteriophages can have different infection strategies, primarily the lytic cycle and the lysogenic cycle.
2. Step 2: In the lytic cycle, the bacteriophage infects the bacterial cell, replicates its genome, produces new phage particles, and eventually causes the host cell to lyse (burst), releasing new phages.
3. Step 3: In the lysogenic cycle, some bacteriophages integrate their genome into the host bacterial chromosome, becoming a prophage. This integration allows the phage DNA to be replicated along with the host DNA without immediately killing the host cell.
4. Step 4: Recognize that not all bacteriophages cause chronic infections or always kill the host cell; some can remain dormant within the host genome for extended periods.
5. Step 5: Therefore, the correct statement is that some bacteriophages can integrate their genome into the host without immediately lysing the cell, which describes the lysogenic cycle.