The Process of Infection with Bacteriophage φX174: XVII. Effects of Specific Metabolic Interruptions

Abstract

The effects of metabolic interruptions on the infective process of bacteriophage φX174 in Escherichia coli THU (a derivative of E. coli 15, requiring thymine, histidine and uracil) have been studied. The experiments indicate that: 1.(1) the synthesis of a histidine-containing protein is necessary for the replication of the parental replicative form φX DNA; 2.(2) the continued synthesis of viral DNA is necessary to maintain a normal rate of synthesis of antiserum-precipitable viral protein; in the absence of thymidine the rate of synthesis of this protein falls off progressively; and 3.(3) there appears to be a requirement for concomitant protein and DNA synthesis to produce mature virus particles. The nature of the concomitant protein requirement is not known although it does not appear to be the anti-serum-precipitable protein.

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