This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Groman, N. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Groman, N. B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1965 December; 90(6): 1563-1568
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Factors in Lysis and Lysis Inhibition by Lambda Bacteriophage

Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

ABSTRACT

GROMAN, NEAL B. (University of Washington, Seattle). Factors in lysis and lysis inhibition by lambda bacteriophage. J. Bacteriol. 90:1563–1568. 1965.—Induced Escherichia coli strain K-12(112) exhibited lysis inhibition at 37 C but lysed at 44 C when incubated in LB medium lacking NaCl [LB – (NaCl)]. In LB medium containing NaCl, the temperatures for lysis and lysis inhibition were reversed. In contrast, induced K-12() lysed under all of these conditions. At 37 C, the addition of NaCl to LB – (NaCl) at various times after induction of K-12(112) restored lysis. The degree of lysis decreased the longer the addition was delayed, but partial restoration occurred as late as 150 min postinduction. At 44 C, the addition of salt at various times after induction restored lysis inhibition even after lysis had begun. An attempt was made to correlate the conditions for lysis and lysis inhibition with the behavior of 112 endloysin. The enzymatic activities of and mutant 112 endolysins were compared under various salt-temperature conditions. Both endolysins were progressively and equally inhibited by increasing concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, and Li⁺ salts, and exhibited similar relative activities at 24 and 37 C. Both were stable at 37 C in the presence and absence of NaCl, and were inactivated at comparable rates at 44 C. The results indicate that the effect of salt and temperature on lysis and lysis inhibition cannot be explained by their direct effect on 112 endolysin.