CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF BACTERIAL VIRUSES

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effect of UV light and H2O2 on the incidence of terramycin-resistant mutants and of phage-producing cells in Bacillus megatherium cultures has been determined. The incidence of the 2 types of cells is increased by both agents and is due to an increase in the mutation rate and not to changes in the growth rate or yield of virus. The rate of appearance of the phage-producing cells is in agreement with the same equations which predict the rate of appearance of terramycin-resistant mutants. Since the change from a normal to a terramycin-resistant cell has been shown to be a mutation, present results suggest that the change from a normal to a phage-producing cell is also a mutation.

This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit: