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J Virol. 1967 October; 1(5): 928-934
Copyright © 1967 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Protein Components of Bacteriophages and Virulent

Department of Biochemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

ABSTRACT

Parallel studies have been made of the protein coats of the temperate bacteriophage and of a deletion mutant, virulent. A new method for preparing ghosts of both phages by the action of Cu⁺⁺ is described. Protein ghosts of both phages can be dissolved in citrate at pH values below 3, more rapidly in the presence of 8 M urea. Both phages yielded three apparently identical protein components which can be separated by thin-layer gel filtration and thin-layer gel electrophoresis. The protein of molecular weight 47,000 ± 1,500 represents about 55% of the protein of the ghosts and is therefore likely to be the subunit of the head. The other proteins of molecular weight 30,000 ± 1,500 and 16,000 ± 1,500 represent approximately 25% and 20% of the protein, respectively. Amino acid analyses of the ghosts from the two phages have been carried out and show no significant differences. The buoyant density of phage virulent is 0.016 g/ml less than that of . Since no differences have been found in the protein components of the two phages, this indicates that the virulent mutant contains approximately 16% less deoxyribonucleic acid than the temperate phage.