Conversion of Type Antigen IV in Shigella Flexneri by Bacteriophage

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Abstract
It was found that in Shigella flexneri strains 1 to 4, a temperate phage induced antigenic conversion, not only from 1a to 4a (I→IV) and from 3b to 4b (III→IV), as reported by Matsui (1958), but also from 1b to 4b (I→IV) and from 2a to 4a (II→IV). In these cases, the conversion was performed with respect to IV1 of antigen IV, but not to IV2. The phage which induced these conversions could be demonstrated in 4c (EW 19) as well as in 4b (EW 18), exhibiting an affinity to group antigen 4. Further, variant Y from 1a and 2a was sensitive to this phage, and when lysogenized by it, came to possess antigen IV1. However, from standard strain Y (EW 13), which could adsorb this phage, it was impossible to obtain any bacteria which came to possess antigen IV1.