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The Host‐Dependent Restriction of Growth of an RNA Coliphage FI
Author(s) -
Hirashima Akikazu,
Furuse Kohsuke,
Watanabe Itaru
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1977.tb00324.x
Subject(s) - biology , mutant , coliphage , rna , bacteriophage , spheroplast , phagemid , escherichia coli , permissive , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Phage FIC is a spontaneous host‐dependent mutant of phage FI which is classified into the fourth group of RNA Escherichia coli phages (RNA coliphages). The mutant phage (FIC) grows normally in E. coli strain Q13 (permissive host), but poorly in strain A/λ (non‐permissive host) (9). Attempts to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of growth of the mutant phage in the non‐permissive host revealed the following: (a) growth of the mutant phage was specifically restricted in E. coli strains that have certain suppressor genes for amber mutation; (b) the mutant phage RNA (FIC‐RNA) could not produce progeny in the spheroplasts of the non‐permissive host; (c) adsorption of the mutant phage to, and penetration of the mutant phage RNA into, the non‐permissive host were normal; and (d) biosynthesis of the phage‐specific late protein and RNA did not occur in the non‐permissive host. Based on these results we conclude that phage FIC is a spontaneous azure‐type mutant of the fourth group of RNA coliphage FI.