The Influence of Acridines on the Interaction of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus K phage

Abstract

The effect of 9 drugs on the bacteriophage system was studied, using one step growth curve and mass Lysis technics. Two amidines tested had an effect similar to that of the acridines. In the presence of the drugs, cells whose growth processes were already inhibited were lysed by the phage, but in such cases the phage itself did not multiply. Using one step growth curves it was shown that concns. of the drugs which would inhibit staphylococcic growth had no effect on phage absorption by the cell. The results suggest that the drugs retard the production by the host cell of some intermediate or precursor essential to phage multiplication. The effect of the acridines upon lysis by phage was counteracted by nucleic acid.