A BACTERIOPHAGE CONTAINING RNA

Abstract

The evidence presented indicates that the bacteriophage f2 contains RNA and not DNA as its nucleic acid. The evidence is based primarily on the analysis of purified material but also on the distribution of the 2 types of nucleic acid synthesized after infection. Although f2 is an extremely small phage, there is a compensating large yield per bacterium (about 10,000 PFU). Therefore, the synthesis of phage materials can be followed and the phage itself readily purified. In its general features such as adsorption and intracellular growth, f2 resembles the DNA bacteriophages.