The Structure and Infective Process of a Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bacteriophage Containing Ribonucleic Acid

Abstract

SUMMARYThe electron microscope shows that there are a number of different morphological types of bacteriophages which grow on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some are conventional ones with contractile or non-contractile tails, but the most interesting is a tail-less phage containing RNA. The structure of both conventional and RNA phages is described. It is shown that the RNA phage probably infects the cell via polar pili. Intracellular multiplication and lysis by the RNA phage is followed in thin sections of infected cells. In the early stages, the nuclear region is much reduced and dense granular areas appear. These subsequently differentiate into crystalline aggregates of virus particles; at the same time a large bulge, identical to that found associated with spheroplast formation, appears. The crystals continue to increase in size until the spheroplast ruptures and lysis occurs.

Observations on the Adsorption of Caulobacter Bacteriophages containing Ribonucleic Acid

“…Both the genera Pseudomonas and Caulobacter are characterized by polar flagellation. The diameter of the P. aeruginosa pilus is about 40 (Bradley, 1966), similar to the diameter observed for most pili of CauZobactm fusiformis and C.…”

Preparation of agglutinating antisera specific for the flagellar antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

“…Mutants of the other H-type strains listed in table I were selected with the following pilus-dependent phages by the method of Bradley (1973): strain H-1 with phage PO4 (Bradley, 1973); strain H-2 with phage M6 (Bradley and Pitt, 1974); strain H-5 with phage P04; and strain H-6 with phage PP7 (Bradley, 1966). Mutants were examined in the electron microscope for the absence of pili and lyophilised.…”

The Structure and Occurrence of Pili (Fimbriae) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa

“…Because most studies of pili have focused attention on organisms in the Enterobacteriaceae, it is often assumed that the occurrence of such pili is common among Gram-negative bacteria. With few exceptions (Bradley, 1965(Bradley, , 1966 since their discovery, pili of P. aeruginosa have largely been ignored. Little was known of Pseudonomas pili until Fuerst & Hayward (1969) examined the occurrence of pili in this genus.…”