[Role of temperate phage in bacterial dissociation]

Abstract

The analysis of literary and own data testifies that the dissociants may appear in bacteria population from spontaneous mutations and transfer of genetic material (conjugation, transformation, transduction). The phage conversion and different DNA reorganizations within a cell where prophage plays an active role, probably introduce the largest contribution into the dissociative transitions of variants which occur with high frequency (about 10(-2)-10(-4). The dissociation of various bacteria has been studied with different degree. The role of temperate phage has been shown in splitting of bacteria into variants in the genera Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, some Bacillus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, some enterobacteria, Yersinia, Vibrio Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Nostoc; the participation of prophage in dissociation of bacteria of the genera Xanthomonas, Erwinia, Bacteroides is proposed. A method for obtaining the nondissociating S-variants for stability of biologically active substances synthesized by cells has been suggested.