STUDIES ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN COMPONENTS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS BACTERIOPHAGE

Abstract

Staphylococci were disrupted in a Mickle disintegrator, and it was shown that staphylococcal bacteriophages were absorbed to the cell wall component. Cell walls prepared from S. aureus organisms of one phage type absorbed all S. aureus bacteriophages tested regardless of the capacity of the phage to lyse the parent organism from which the cell walls were isolated. Neither the isolated mucopeptide nor teichoic acid components of the cell walls was capable of inactivating bacteriophage.