Interaction of protoplasts, L forms, and bacilli of Bacillus subtilis with 12 strains of bacteriophage

Abstract

The interaction of 12 phage strains with bacilli, protoplasts, and L forms of Bacillus subtilis 168 and with eight of its mutants and two of its lysogens is described qualitatively and quantitatively. After removal of the cell wall from B. subtilis 168, 11 of the 12 phage strains can still adsorb to the protoplasts, nine kill their wall-less host cells, and five multiply in the naked bacteria, forming plaques on L form lawns. Individual gene mutations can have similarly pleiotropic effects, strongly dependent upon the plating medium. Thus, the gta A mutation, which causes loss of glucosylation of the wall teichoic acid, results in loss of wall adsorption sites for 029 (but not membrane sites) and for X105. Phages X25, SP82G and oe can still adsorb to gta A bacilli and plaque in unstabilized and sorbitol-stabilized lawns of this mutant, but they can not plaque in sucrosestabilized lawns. The lysogenized wild type, B. subtilis 168 (SP02), also exhibits a pleiotropic pattern, showing different levels of resistance to phages SP02, X1, 4e, and 025. Its resistance pattern is very similar to that of wild-type protoplasts. On the basis of such patterns, the bacterial mutants and strain B. subtilis 168 strain 4)1

Transformation of a Bacillus subtilis L-form with bacteriophage deoxyribonucleic acid

“…In control experiments, bacteriophage #25 particles failed to produce an infection in sal-1. This finding agrees with the data presented by Jacobson and Landman, who showed that #25 was unable to produce an active infection in protoplasts of B. subtil (13). In contrast, when *25 was added to the L-form culture in the presence of PEG, an apparent active infection was produced (Fig.…”

Bacteriophages in L form of Staphylococcus aureus

“…Small ellipsoid particles (10) and small dense particles (14), both types found in P. mirabilis, were interpreted as products of defective phage synthesis and were thus called phage-like particles, whereas typical phages have so far not been found. Alterations in adsorption and reproduction of lytic phages in Bacillus subtilis L-form cells, in the course of which each step can be defective, have been demonstrated by Jacobson and Landman (12). Depending on the phage strain, the reactions ranged from phages that showed productive lysis to a phage that even failed to adsorb.…”

Adsorption of bacteriophages phi 29 and 22a to protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis 168

“…We reported previously that bacteriophage can productively infect wall-less forms ofBacillus subtilis (7). Here we compare quantitatively the adsorption of phages 4)29 and 22a to protoplasts with their adsorption to bacilli.…”

“…Here we compare quantitatively the adsorption of phages 4)29 and 22a to protoplasts with their adsorption to bacilli. Phages 22a and 429 were chosen for this comparison because earlier work showed that they recognize different adsorption sites: adsorption of 429 is blocked in bacilli deficient in the glucosylation of their wall teichoic acid (7,15), whereas adsorption of 22a is normal in such mutants (7).…”