scholarly journals Host-Controlled Modification of Rhizobium Bacteriophage

1965 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
EA Schwinghamer

Host-controlled phenotypic variation of host specificity was observed with two rhizobiophage strains, 0Ll and 0L5, following growth on six strains of Rhizobium legumino8arum and R. trifolii. The six hosts could be assigned to four groups, each group representing a different pattern of host specificity. Initial adaptation of 0L5 to hosts L2, L7, and L25 appeared to involve mutation, although replication in cells of these hosts generally involved additional phenotypic restriction. Restricted and unrestricted forms of a phage did not differ significantly in their ability to adsorb to several hosts. One-step analysis of the L25-specific form of 0L5 grown in L25 cells indicated a low average burst size of approximately one unrestricted plaque-forming unit in a small proportion of cells which were able to produce infective centres on L4. One-cycle analysis of L4-specific 0L5 modified by growth in L25 confirmed the phenotypic nature of phage variation in this phage-host system, and indicated that specificity for L4 was not replicated in L25.

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. B. ROSLYCKY

Various concentrations of paraquat, atrazine, simazine, linuron, diuron, and paraquat in combinations with each including simazine + diuron, and terbacil alone, did not inhibit lytic activity of four bacteriophages of Agrobacterium radiobacter, three bacteriophages of Rhizobium meliloti, three bacteriophages of R. trifolii, or two bacteriophages of Streptomyces chrysomallus. Generally, the herbicides had no effect on the neutralization of radiobacterphage PR-1001 with its homologous antiserum, the length of the latent period, the percent adsorption or the average burst size. In contrast, paraquat concentrations from 20 to 400 μg∙mL−1 gradually reduced the adsorption from 38 to 21% and the average burst size from 67 to 9 in the PR-1001:R-1001 phage: host system. The same concentrations, however, showed no effect on the particle attachment or the length of the latent period.


1958 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 493-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Sutton ◽  
H. Katznelson ◽  
C. Quadling

This paper reports the isolation of a lytic phage that attacks in vitro numerous phytopathogenic Xanthomonas species, including X. campestris (Pammel) Dowson, the cause of black rot disease of crucifers. Although 'one-step' growth experiments suggested an average burst size of ca. four for this phage-host system, 'single burst' experiments indicated a burst size of ca. one hundred phage particles per bacterium. The particles have typical phage morphology, as determined by electron microscopy. This phage gave satisfactory results when used in the rapid plaque count test for detection of phage-sensitive bacteria in plant materials.


1984 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe de Lajudie ◽  
Didier Bogusz

Two rhizobiophages, RS1 and RS2, were isolated in Senegal from a soil sample and dry stem nodules of Sesbania rostrata, a tropical legume that is infected by two categories of Rhizobium strains: "stem strains," which nodulate both roots and stems (type strain, ORS571), and "root strains," which induce effective nodules only on roots. Both phages were found to have a host range restricted to ORS571; all root strains were found to be resistant. By electron microscopy, phage RS1 showed an hexagonal head 63 nm wide and a tail 87 nm long; phage RS2 revealed an hexagonal head 60 nm wide. Characterization of phage growth cycle by one-step growth experiments showed that the latent period was ca. 75 min for RS1 and ca. 4 h for RS2, that the rise period lasted ca. 2 h for both RS1 and RS2, and that the average burst size was ca. 100 for RS1 and 130 for RS2. Temperature denaturation occurred at 60–65 °C (RS1) and 45–50 °C (RS2). Serum neutralization tests revealed that the phages were not serologically related. In contrast to RS1, RS2 appeared to be temperate, since stable lysogens were isolated.


Author(s):  
A. M. Watrach

During a study of the development of infectious laryngotracheitis (LT) virus in tissue culture cells, unusual tubular formations were found in the cytoplasm of a small proportion of the affected cells. It is the purpose of this report to describe the morphologic characteristics of the tubules and to discuss their possible association with the development of virus.The source and maintenance of the strain of LT virus have been described. Prior to this study, the virus was passed several times in chicken embryo kidney (CEK) tissue culture cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Carly M. Davis ◽  
Jaclyn G. McCutcheon ◽  
Jonathan J. Dennis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pernicious bacterial pathogen that is difficult to treat because of high levels of antibiotic resistance. A promising alternative treatment option for such bacteria is the application of bacteriophages; the correct combination of phages plus antibiotics can produce synergistic inhibitory effects. In this study, we describe morphological changes induced by sub-MIC levels of the antibiotic aztreonam lysine (AzLys) on P. aeruginosa PA01, which may in part explain the observed phage–antibiotic synergy (PAS). One-step growth curves for phage E79 showed increased adsorption rates, decreased infection latency, accelerated time to lysis and a minor reduction in burst size. Phage E79 plus AzLys PAS was also able to significantly reduce P. aeruginosa biofilm growth over 3-fold as compared to phage treatment alone. Sub-inhibitory AzLys-induced filamentation of P. aeruginosa cells resulted in loss of twitching motility and a reduction in swimming motility, likely due to a reduction in the number of polar Type IV pili and flagella, respectively, on the filamented cell surfaces. Phage phiKZ, which uses Type IV pili as a receptor, did not exhibit increased activity with AzLys at lower sub-inhibitory levels, but still produced phage–antibiotic synergistic killing with sub-inhibitory AzLys. A one-step growth curve indicates that phiKZ in the presence of AzLys also exhibits a decreased infection latency and moderately undergoes accelerated time to lysis. In contrast to prior PAS studies demonstrating that phages undergo delayed time to lysis with cell filamentation, these PAS results show that phages undergo accelerated time to lysis, which therefore suggests that PAS is dependent upon multiple factors, including the type of phages and antibiotics used, and the bacterial host being tested.


Of a comprehensive set of alkylating agents tested, only two, namely, ethyl methane sulphonate and diethyl sulphate, have been found so to interact with T 2 bacteriophage that cells of Escherichia coli , infected with phage treated extracellularly, manifest a considerably increased likelihood of yielding mutated phage. Since this increase can occur where the infective titre of the phage and the latent period and average burst size of the infected bacteria remain unchanged, it is considered that the increased mutation rate is a direct consequence of the chemical treatment, although the alkylation itself does not constitute the mutation. A study of the manner of inactivation of the phage by these agents has not revealed any characteristic difference between ethylation and other alkylations which could be held to account for its apparent uniqueness.


1950 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winston H. Price

1. Four strains of Staphylococcus muscae have been isolated which differ in their growth rates and phage syntheses in Fildes' synthetic medium. 2. Two of the strains when singly infected cannot release phage in Fildes' synthetic medium unless a substance present in certain acid-hydrolyzed proteins is added to the medium. One of these strains also requires other substance(s) present in acid-hydrolyzed proteins in order to grow in Fildes' medium. 3. The two strains which do not require the addition of the phage-stimulating factor have been found either to synthesize this substance, or one similar to it. One of these strains will not grow in Fildes' medium unless substance(s) present in acid-hydrolyzed proteins is added to the medium. 4. The purified acid-hydrolyzed protein factor necessary for virus liberation does not affect the multiplication rate of uninfected S. muscae cells in Fildes' synthetic medium. 5. The substance is not needed for the adsorption or the invasion of the host cell by the virus. In the absence of the factor, the virus is adsorbed to the cell and "kills" it. 6. An analysis carried out by means of the one-step growth curve technique has indicated that the substance is not concerned simply with the mechanism of virus release, but is necessary for some initial stage in virus synthesis. 7. With one bacterial strain not requiring the AHPF, aspartic acid had to be present at least during the minimum latent period for the cell to form virus. 8. In the absence of aspartic acid, the virus was adsorbed to the cell and killed it, but no virus was released from singly infected bacteria. 9. If the cells were grown in a medium containing aspartic acid and then resuspended in the medium minus aspartic acid, no virus was released, although such cells contained at least two times the amount of aspartic acid necessary for the burst size in the complete medium. 10. Aspartic acid, a constituent of the virus particle, appears from an analysis of one-step growth curves to take part in the initial phase of phage synthesis. 11. The effect of amino acids on virus formation is discussed in relation to the time sequence of virus protein and desoxyribonucleic acid synthesis.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (18) ◽  
pp. 5114-5120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pajunen ◽  
Saija Kiljunen ◽  
Mikael Skurnik

Bacteriophage φYeO3-12 is a lytic phage of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3. The phage receptor is the lipopolysaccharide O chain of this serotype that consists of the rare sugar 6-deoxy-l-altropyranose. A one-step growth curve of φYeO3-12 revealed eclipse and latent periods of 15 and 25 min, respectively, with a burst size of about 120 PFU per infected cell. In electron microscopy φYeO3-12 virions showed pentagonal outlines, indicating their icosahedral nature. The phage capsid was shown to be composed of at least 10 structural proteins, of which a protein of 43 kDa was predominant. N-terminal sequences of three structural proteins were determined, two of them showing strong homology to structural proteins of coliphages T3 and T7. The phage genome was found to consist of a double-stranded DNA molecule of 40 kb without cohesive ends. A physical map of the phage DNA was constructed using five restriction enzymes. The phage infection could be effectively neutralized using serum from a rabbit immunized with whole φYeO3-12 particles. The antiserum also neutralized T3 infection, although not as efficiently as that of φYeO3-12. φYeO3-12 was found to share, in addition to the N-terminal sequence homology, several common features with T3, including morphology and nonsubjectibility to F exclusion. The evidence conclusively indicated that φYeO3-12 is the first close relative of phage T3 to be described.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Tucker ◽  
Peter Pollard

ABSTRACT Viruses can control the structure of bacterial communities in aquatic environments. The aim of this project was to determine if cyanophages (viruses specific to cyanobacteria) could exert a controlling influence on the abundance of the potentially toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (host). M. aeruginosa was isolated, cultured, and characterized from a subtropical monomictic lake—Lake Baroon, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The viral communities in the lake were separated from cyanobacterial grazers by filtration and chloroform washing. The natural lake viral cocktail was incubated with the M. aeruginosa host growing under optimal light and nutrient conditions. The specific growth rate of the host was 0.023 h−1; generation time, 30.2 h. Within 6 days, the host abundance decreased by 95%. The density of the cyanophage was positively correlated with the rate of M. aeruginosa cell lysis (r 2 = 0.95). The cyanophage replication time was 11.2 h, with an average burst size of 28 viral particles per host cell. However, in 3 weeks, the cultured host community recovered, possibly because the host developed resistance (immunity) to the cyanophage. The multiplicity of infection was determined to be 2,890 virus-like particles/cultured host cell, using an undiluted lake viral population. Transmission electron microscopy showed that two types of virus were likely controlling the host cyanobacterial abundance. Both viruses displayed T7-like morphology and belonged to the Podoviridiae group (short tails) of viruses that we called cyanophage Ma-LBP. In Lake Baroon, the number of the cyanophage Ma-LBP was 5.6 × 104 cyanophage · ml−1, representing 0.23% of the natural viral population of 2.46 × 107 · ml−1. Our results showed that this cyanophage could be a major natural control mechanism of M. aeruginosa abundance in aquatic ecosystems like Lake Baroon. Future studies of potentially toxic cyanobacterial blooms need to consider factors that influence cyanophage attachment, infectivity, and lysis of their host alongside the physical and chemical parameters that drive cyanobacterial growth and production.


1971 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F. Kulpa Jr. ◽  
R. H. Olsen

A bacteriophage infective for the obligate psychrophile, Micrococcus cryophilus, was isolated from sewage. The host range is limited to this species. Phage and host DNA are similar in G–C content. The bacteriophage has an average burst size of 290 at 20 °C and 50 at 3.5 °C. The phage is thermosensitive, being 99.9% inactivated in 5 min at 45 °C. This is the first report of the isolation of bacteriophage infective for gram-positive psychrophiles.


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