A New Mesorhizobium loti HAMBI 1129 Phage Isolated from Polish Soil

Phage A1 isolated from the rhizosphere of Lotus corniculatus was studied. It had a very narrow host range, as it was active only against Mesorhizobium loti HAMBI 1129. Phage A1 was classified as belonging to C Bradley's group bacteriophages. The latent period of A1 was 120–130 min and a burst size 13–17 particles per cell. The nature of the phage receptor was examined. Lipopolysaccharide from the phage-sensitive strain inactivated phage A1 in contrast to LPS from the phage-resistant bacteria. Purified LPS obtained from M. loti HAMBI 1129 had a high receptor activity with PhI₅₀ value of 0.025 μg/ml. Received: 30 July 1999 / Accepted: 15 November 1999