| Abstract: | Transduction by temperate cyanophage plays an important role in understanding the effects of environmental pollution on genetic function. Using a new isolate, this paper illustrates the influence of contaminants and the rapid variations that result as a virus particle passes through successive hosts. Host-range and plaque-morphology, using an extended range of genetically-differing hosts, compares archetype LPP-1 cyanophage cultured on microbially contaminated hosts with bacteria-free cyanophage cultured on pure host strains. Microbial contamination can alter the host-range and serology of the cyanophage produced. It is suggested that bacteria are involved in the virus infection of cyanophycean hosts and that the study of host-range and plaque-morphology can aid in the biological characterization and segregation of mutants illustrating mechanisms of inter generic transfer of genetic material. It is shown that derivatives of archetype LPP-1, cultured on axenic hosts, possess a host-range, plaque-morphology and serology similar or identical to that of the temperate cyanophage, S3. |
