H2, a Temperate Bacteriophage Isolated from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strain H

• Published in: Journal of general microbiology Vol. 133; no. 10; pp. 2937 - 2944
• Main Authors: Zahler, S. A, Korman, R. Z, Thomas, C, Fink, P. S, Weiner, M. P, Odebralski, J. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Soc General Microbiol 01.10.1987; New York, NY Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Bacillus - metabolism; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Bacteriophages - genetics; Bacteriophages - isolation & purification; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Viral; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene transfer; Lysogeny; Microbiology; Morphology, structure, chemical composition, physicochemical properties; phage H2; transduction; Transduction, Genetic; Virology; Virus; Characterization; Genetic mapping; Bacillales; Lysogeny; Bacteria; Bactériophage; Isolation; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Bacillaceae
• ISSN: 0022-1287; 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-133-10-2937

Section of Genetics and Development, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA ABSTRACT SUMMARY: Bacillus amyloliquefuciens strain H is lysogenic for a large temperate phage we call H2. H2 has a polyhedral head 85 nm in diameter and a tail of about 17 x 434 nm. H2 lysogenizes Bacillus subtilis between the tyrA and metB genes, and gives specialized transduction of metB and, at lower frequencies, of ilvD and ilvA . The phage carries a thymidylate synthase gene and converts thymine auxotrophs of B. subtilis to prototrophy. The H2 genome is a linear DNA molecule about 129 kb in length. DNA extracted from phage particles grown in B. subtilis is not cut by the restriction endonucleases HaeIII , Fnu4H1 , Bsp l2861, and BamHI ; the latter enzyme is produced by B. amyloliquefaciens strain H. The prophage in lysogenic B. subtilis cells can be cut by these enzymes. We have isolated H2 mutants that carry the transposon Tn917, or a mutation resulting in clear-plaque morphology, or both.