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DNA relatedness among bacteriophages of the morphological group C3

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Abstract

Six bacteriophages with an elongated head and a short, noncontractile tail were compared by DNA-DNA hybridization, seroneutralization kinetics, mol% G+C and molecular weight of DNA, and host range. Three phage “species” could be identified. Phage species 1 containedEnterobacter sakazakii phage C2,Erwinia herbicola phages E3 and E16P, andSalmonella newport phage 7–11. These phages had a rather wide host range (4 to 13 bacterial species). DNA relatedness among species 1 phages was above 75% relative binding ratio (S1 nuclease method, 60°C) when labeled DNA from phage C2 was used, and above 41% when labeled DNA from phage E3 was used. Molecular weight of DNA was about 58×106 (C2) to 67 ×106 (E3). The mol% G+C of DNA was 43–45. Anti-C2 serum that neutralizes all phages of species 1 does not neutralize phages of the other two species. Species 2 contains only coliphage Esc-7-11, whose host range was only oneEscherichia coli strain out of 188 strains of Enterobacteriaceae studied; it was unrelated to the other two species by seroneutralization and DNA hybridization. DNA from phage Esc-7-11 had a base composition of 43 mol% G+C and a molecular weight of about 45×106. Species 3 contains onlyProteus mirabilis phage 13/3a. Its host range was limited to swarmingProteus species. Species 3 was unrelated to the other two species by seroneutralization and DNA hybridization. DNA from phage 13/3a had a base composition of 35 mol% G+C and molecular weight of about 53×106. It is proposed that phage species be defined as phage nucleic acid hybridization groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service des Entérobactéries, Unité INSERM 199, Institut Pasteur, F-75724, Paris Cedex 15, France

    Francine Grimont & Patrick A. D. Grimont

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  1. Francine Grimont
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  2. Patrick A. D. Grimont
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Grimont, F., Grimont, P.A.D. DNA relatedness among bacteriophages of the morphological group C3. Current Microbiology 6, 65–69 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01569005

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