Clumping of Susceptible Bacteria by Bacteriophage Tail Fibres

Abstract

SUMMARY: Susceptible bacteria are clumped in the presence of purified chemically-separated T-even tail fibres. The clumping is partially host-specific, serologically specific, and dependent upon the ionic environment. The clumping principle is adsorbed by bacterial suspensions with coincident disappearance of tail fibres. Clumping is believed to be caused mainly by phage tail fibres and the evidence suggests that the mechanism is by the formation of bridges between bacteria. It is inferred that the tail fibre must have at least two adsorbing sites.