The Multiplication of Staphylococcal Phages in Nonpermissive Hosts

Abstract

Determining

Inhibition Phenomenon of Staphylococci by Bacteriophages

“…Results showing no marked difference between the growth of strains infected with inhibitory phages at low MOI and the growth of those not infected and the marked decrease in the growth rate of strains in the presence of phages after conversion to typability suggest that the adsorption of inhibitory phages by cells does not necessarily result in the death of cells. This result supports the observation of Wentworth and Romig (10) and is contrary to the report of Beard and Rountree (2) that the inhibition was caused by the death of a majority of cells on plates having a phage to CFU ratio of 1 :1.…”

“…The results of this study indicate that strains showing inhibition adsorb phages with lower efficiencies than sensitive strains, and this has been described by Beard and Rountree (2) and Wentworth and Romig (10). Although West, Kelly, and Shields (11) stated that the change in the absorption rate may cause the inhibition of sensitive bacteria, the difference in the adsorption rate of phages does not seem to play a major role in the inhibition, since strains converted to full sensitivity from inhibition by treatments with heat shock or trypaflavine show the same efficiency of adsorption as the nontreated strains.…”