TRANSDUCTION IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS STUDIED WITH A TEMPERATE PHAGE S-1

Abstract

The general type of transduction of Bacillus subtilis Marburg strain with the phage S-1 was studied.
The transducing phage of S-1 seemed to be a defective one as those of P1 in E. coli and P22 in Salmonella (5, 6). The phage S-1 was found to have a killing ability toward group 2 recipient bacteria, which did not allow the multiplication of S-1. This might be explained mainly by the multiple infection of active and transducing phages.
The stimulation of transduction with the ultraviolet-light irradiated phage, however, could not be considered on the same basis, because the extent of the stimulation is diverse in the different lines of the recipient bacteria, and there is no coordination between the per cent of killing of the phage with ultraviolet irradiation and that of stimulation of the transduction by the UV-phage. Possible causes for this phenomenon are discussed.