Transformation in Staphylococcus aureus: role of bacteriophage and incidence of competence among strains

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Abstract
When used in a helper phage capacity, phages 29, 52, 52A, 79, 80, 55, 71, 53, 83A, 85, 95, 96, .vphi.11 and 80.alpha., all serological group B Staphylococcus phages, conferred competence for transformation to S. aureus 8325-4, a strain that does not normally become competent. Of the serological group A phages tested, only phage 3A showed significant competence-conferring activity. Phages 29, 55, 53, 83A, .85, 95, .vphi.11 and 80.alpha. showed an enhancement of competence-conferring activity if exposure to the cells occurred in the presence of normal rabbit serum. All of the propagating strains for the Staphylococcus reference typing phages were rendered competent for transformation by exposure to at least one of these helper phages. The use of a helper phage to confer competence to S. aureus did not result in distortion of the genetic linkages observed in an inherently competent strain. Lysogenization of phages .vphi.11 or 83A is not required for the expression of competence, and the competence in the inherently competent 8325 strain is apparently due to a helper phage effect initiated by the adsorption to cells of .vphi.11 virion parts [or .vphi.11 particles in the case of the single lysogen 8325-4 (.vphi.11)] that were liberated by prophage induction.