Nature of the energy requirement for the irreversible adsorption of bacteriophages T1 and phi80 to Escherichia coli

Abstract

The nature of the energy requirement for irreversible adsorption of phages T1 and .vphi.80 was studied by using various specific energy inhibitors and mutants lacking either the Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase or the ability to produce cytochromes in the absence of added 5-aminolevulinic acid. Irreversible adsorption could be energized both through the electron transport chain and from ATP via the Ca2+, Mg2+-ATP-ase, indicating the involvement of the energized membrane state. These results and the discovery that phages T1 and .vphi.80 adsorb reversibly to the isolated tonA gene product are discussed in terms of the possible involvement of functions expressed by the tonB gene region in irreversible adsorption and the relationship to Fe transport.