The spike of the virus

These viruses infiltrate bacteria by drilling into the bacterial outer membrane. Once completely through all of a bug's defenses, the phages inject their DNA, which essentially turns the bacterium into phage-producing factories. Eventually, the microbes become filled with so many viruses that they burst, releasing a new horde of phages into the environment.

Scientists have long known that bacteriophages have a knack for infiltrating bacteria and that some begin their attack with a protein spike. But the tip of this spike is so small that no one knew what it was made of or exactly how it worked. Now a team of researchers has found a single iron atom at the head of the spike, a discovery that suggests phages enter bacteria in a different way than surmised: Forcefully rather than softening first the membrane. "It's like driving a nail or stake through the membrane of the bacteria." says virus experts.

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http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/02/bacteria-killing-viruses-wield-a.html?ref=hp