Publication Date

1980

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Vary, Patricia S.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Biology

LCSH

Bacillus megaterium; Bacteriophages

Abstract

This thesis represents work done to partially characterize 41 Bacillus megaterium bacteriophages isolated by Dr. P. S. Vary. Characterization included testing the heat sensitivity and acridine orange staining of the bacteriophage nucleic acids. Particular emphasis was placed on the characterization of the transducing phage MP 13 which included determination of the following: optimum growth conditions, a more precise heat inactivation curve, latent period and burst size, and an electron microscopic study of the phage's morphology. The results indicate that almost all the phages are stable at 50 C, and most are at least moderately stable at 60 C for 10 min. All phages tested contained double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid. The optimum growth conditions for MP 13 are: M or SNB broth, a multiplicity of infection of 1, infection of mid-log phase cells, incubation at 30 C, with shaking, for either 120 min or 24 h. MP 13 was 50 percent inactivated at 60 C for 10 min. It has a latent period between 100 and 110 min with a burst size between 400 and 1100 phages. MP 13 is a Bradley type A tailed phage with a head 97.4 nm by 97.4 nm and a tail 17.6 nm by 202.4 nm long. It has both a baseplate and tail fibers.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.||Pages are misnumbered; number 11 skipped.

Extent

vi, 43 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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