Abstract
The growth characteristics of phages were investigated with the four phages, active on Brevibacterium lactofermentum, which were selected from the respective serological groups, namely, P465 (group I), P46811 (group II), Ap85111 (group III) and P4 (group IV).
The adsorption rate of the phages, P465 and P468II, on the host bacteria was low, whereas that of the phages, Ap85111 and P4, was higher. The adsorption rate constants for the four phages were respectively calculated at 2.02×10-10, 1.87×10-10, 4.32×10-10 and 3.15×10-10 cros per minute, at 30°C in G5B2 medium. With reference to the ionic environ-ment for adsorption, the phages, P465 and Ap85111, specifically required either for Ca++ or Mg++; the phage P46811, for both; and the phage P4, for neither.
The growth characteristics of these phages were examined by the one-step growth ex-periment. The latent periods of the phages were 50, 53, 57 and 47 minutes, respectively; and the corresponding average burst sizes were about 98, 31, 145 and 126. The growth of the phage P4 was completely suppressed at above 34°C, although the host bacteria and the other three phages were capable of the full growth at that temperature.
