Antiserum inactivation of electrophoretically purified M13 diploid virions: model for the F-specific filamentous bacteriophages

J Virol. 1974 Feb;13(2):466-9. doi: 10.1128/JVI.13.2.466-469.1974.

Abstract

Antiserum inactivation experiments were carried out on electrophoretically purified diploid virions from a cross between two complementing amber mutants of phage M13. The total (homozygous plus heterozygous) diploid population, assayed on a permissive host where only one genome is needed for plaque formation, was inactivated at the same rate as haploids. Heterozygous diploids, assayed on a nonpermissive host, where both genomes are needed for plaque formation, were twice as sensitive as haploids and the total diploid population. These results have led us to propose a model for serum inactivation of the F-specific filamentous phages. According to this model, phage-neutralizing antibodies attach anywhere along the length of the phage and allow the phage to penetrate only up to the first bound antibody molecule.

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Binding Sites, Antibody
  • Coliphages / growth & development*
  • Coliphages / immunology
  • Coliphages / isolation & purification
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • DNA, Viral
  • Diploidy
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Escherichia coli
  • Haploidy
  • Heterozygote
  • Immune Sera / pharmacology*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Mutation

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • DNA, Viral
  • Immune Sera