This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Roy, A. Articles by Mitra, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Roy, A. Articles by Mitra, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol. 1970 September; 6(3): 333-339
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Increased Fragility of Escherichia coli After Infection with Bacteriophage M13

Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, Calcutta 9, India

ABSTRACT

Male strains of Escherichia coli infected with filamentous phage M13 released the progeny phage particles from intact cells. At the same time, the cells continued to grow and multiply at a slightly lower rate than the uninfected cells. Concomitant with the phage release, lipopolysaccharide from the cell wall of the infected cells was also released. The buoyant density of E. coli HfrC in diaginol, 1.25 g/cc, did not change as a result of infection. Detergents like sodium dodecyl sulfate and Sarkosyl specifically lysed the infected cells. The infected cells showed enhanced fragility as indicated by inactivation by various stresses, namely heat, osmotic shock, and freezing and thawing. It is concluded that the infection with M13 causes certain alterations in the surface structure of E. coli, thus making the cells more fragile.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mruk, I., Blumenthal, R. M. (2008). Real-time kinetics of restriction-modification gene expression after entry into a new host cell. Nucleic Acids Res 36: 2581-2593 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bidlack, J. E., Silverman, P. M. (2004). An Active Type IV Secretion System Encoded by the F Plasmid Sensitizes Escherichia coli to Bile Salts. J. Bacteriol. 186: 5202-5209 [Abstract] [Full Text]