Читать книгу Principles of Virology - Jane Flint, S. Jane Flint - Страница 48

In 1958, François Jacob and Elie Wollman realized that lambda prophage and the E. coli F sex factor had many common properties. This remarkable insight led to the definition of the episome.

An episome is an exogenous genetic element that is not necessary for cell survival. Its defining characteristic is the ability to reproduce in two alternative states: while integrated in the host chromosome or autonomously. However, this term is now most commonly applied to genomes that can be maintained in cells by autonomous replication and never integrate, for example, the DNA genomes of certain animal viruses.