Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Walther-Mauruschat, Anna
• Mayer, Frank

Titel

Isolation and Characterization of Polysheaths, Phage Tail-like Defective Bacteriophages of Alcaligenes eutrophus H 16

Ist Teil von

• Journal of general virology, 1978-11, Vol.41 (2), p.239-254

Ort / Verlag

England: Soc General Microbiol

Erscheinungsjahr

1978

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Free E-Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Institut für Mikrobiologie der Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-3400 Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany Polysheaths were spontaneously formed inside cells of the hydrogen bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus H 16. These particles are long tube-like structures of 24 nm diam. belonging to the phage tail-like defective bacteriophages (Lotz, 1976). In mid log-phase fermenter-grown cells, polysheaths were observed in about 20% of all cells sectioned. Evidence is provided for an inhibition of cell fission by polysheaths. Polysheaths were isolated by differential centrifugation and precipitation techniques using PEG and antibodies. The morphology of polysheaths was investigated electron microscopically by negative staining, ultrathin sectioning and metal shadowing. A surface lattice of the polysheath was derived from light optical diffraction data. The particles were also characterized by their biochemical and biophysical features: mol. wt. of the subunit determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis (58000), amino acid composition, isoelectric point (4.4), u.v. absorbance spectrum indicating the absence of nucleic acid, buoyant density (1.258), and stability against denaturants and proteolytic enzymes. * Present address: Institut für Humangenetik der Universität Göttingen, Nikolausberger Weg 7, D-3400 Göttingen. Received 23 February 1978; accepted 22 May 1978.