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J Virol. 1970 July; 6(1): 135-144
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Interaction of Bacteriophage N1 with Cell Walls of Micrococcus lysodeikticus¹

Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140

ABSTRACT

Bacteriophage N1 does not irreversibly adsorb to cell walls isolated from its host Micrococcus lysodeikticus strain 1 (ML-1). ML-1 walls do bind the virus in a specific but completely reversibly union. Electron microscopic examination of OsO₄-treated mixtures of phage and walls revealed phage bound to wall fragments by their tail tips, suggesting that reversible phage attachment to walls involves a "tail-first" adsorption of the virus. Treatment of ML-1 walls with fluorodinitrobenzene confers upon the walls the ability to inactivate N1 phage. The relationship between reversible phage attachment to walls and the mechanism of infection by N1 phage is discussed.

² Present address: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore Co., Md., 21228.

¹ Part of this study was taken from a dissertation submitted to Temple University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.