Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 1973

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

Committee Chair

Robert Pacha

Second Committee Member

G. Clark

Third Committee Member

Thomas H. Thelen

Abstract

Two bacteriophages which infect the myxobacterium Cytophaga succinicans, strains 14 and 16, were isolated from fish hatchery effluent. Each was submitted to a detailed study. These phages have a limited host range, even within the genus Cytophaga. The turbid plaques formed by these phages are similar in appearance to those produced by coliphage Lambda, and average 0.85 mm in diameter. Both phages have a latent period of 195 minutes and a rise period of an additional 165 minutes. Phage 0CS-16 has a burst size of 137 and phage 0CS-14 has a burst of 45. Sodium ion at a concentration of 0.01 M acts as the optimum adsorption cofactor for 0CS-16, whereas Ammonium ion at 0.0001 M is optimum for 0CS-14. Both phages are viable at temperatures between 5 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius, but are inactivated when frozen. Both can withstand pH's between 6 and 9. Phage 0CS-14 is resistant to chloroform treatment for eight hours, whereas the titer of phage 0CS-16 decreases by nearly two log units within this time.

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