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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beaudoin, J. Articles by Pratt, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Beaudoin, J. Articles by Pratt, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol. 1974 February; 13(2): 466-469
Copyright © 1974 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Antiserum Inactivation of Electrophoretically Purified M13 Diploid Virions: Model for the F-Specific Filamentous Bacteriophages

^a Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706

ABSTRACT

Antiserum inactivation experiments were carried out on electrophoretically purified diploid virions from a cross between two complementing amber mutants of phage M13. The total (homozygous plus heterozygous) diploid population, assayed on a permissive host where only one genome is needed for plaque formation, was inactivated at the same rate as haploids. Heterozygous diploids, assayed on a nonpermissive host, where both genomes are needed for plaque formation, were twice as sensitive as haploids and the total diploid population. These results have led us to propose a model for serum inactivation of the F-specific filamentous phages. According to this model, phage-neutralizing antibodies attach anywhere along the length of the phage and allow the phage to penetrate only up to the first bound antibody molecule.

¹ Present address: Département de Microbiologie et d'Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, Montréal 101, Canada.

² Present address: Department of Bacteriology, University of California, Davis, California 95616.