Abstract
TWO prominent properties of lysogenic bacteria are, first, inheritable potentiality for phage production and, second, immunity against homologous phage. Both characteristics are unaffected by growth in the presence of phage antiserum or by serial subcultures of single colonies. This indicates that every lysogenic cell carries the genetic information for the biosynthesis of a given type of the phage particle1; so far, however, this has been known only for some DNA bacteriophages. I present here the first demonstration that bacteria can also contain the genetic information for the production of an RNA phage. If Escherichia coli bacteria are grown and infected with f2 RNA phage in liquid medium supplemented with guanidinium chloride, many cells subsequently behave as true lysogens. They are ‘immune’ to f2 and spontaneously release phage identical in morphology, plaque type, serological property, male specificity and single-stranded RNA genome, to the phage used for the initial infection.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jacob, F. in Les bacteries lysogénes et la notion de provirus 21–22 (Masson et Cie, Paris, 1954).
Lodish, H. F., Cooper, S. & Zinder, N. D., Virology 24, 60–70 (1964).
Summers, D. F., Maizel, J. V. & Darnell, J. E., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 54, 505–513 (1965).
Cooper, S. & Zinder, N. D., Virology 18, 405–411 (1962).
Cuzin, F. & Jacob, F., Ann. Inst. Pasteur 112, 397–418 (1967).
Braun, W. in Bacterial Genetics 100–111 (W. B. Saunders, London, 1953).
Bradley, D. E., J. gen. Microbiol. 44, 383–391 (1966).
Zgaga, V., Medić, M., Salaj-Smic, E., Novak, D. & Wrischer, M., J. molec. Biol. 79, 697–708 (1973).
Adams, M. H. in Bacteriophages (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1959).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ZGAGA, V. Lysogeny by f2 phage?. Nature 267, 860–862 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/267860a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/267860a0
This article is cited by
-
Interaction of RNA-containing bacteriophages with host cell: MS2-induced mutants of E. coli and the occurrence of DNA-containing derivatives of the bacteriophage MS2
Cytology and Genetics (2008)
-
Lysogeny by f2 phage?
Nature (1978)
-
Qβ DNA-containing hybrid plasmids giving rise to Qβ phage formation in the bacterial host
Nature (1978)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
