The cell wall receptor for bacteriophage Mu G(-) in Erwinia and Escherichia coli C

Abstract

Adsorption of bacteriophage Mu with its invertible DNA segment in the G(-) orientation requires a terminal glucose residue for binding to the core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria. Analysis of a Mu-resistant mutant shows that the receptor for Mu G(-) in Erwinia B374 is a Glc-β1,6-Glc disaccharide. A spontaneously occurring host-range mutant, Mu G(-)h101, grows on Escherichia coli C. The loss of the terminal β1,3-linked glucose from the LPS of E. coli C leads to resistance to the phage Mu. These mutants are also resistant to phage P1 and D108 which have largely homologous G segments. This shows that Mu G(+) and G(-) phage particles differ with respect to their cell-wall receptors in the type of glycosidic linkage of a terminal glucose residue: α1, 2 for G(+) and β1,6 for G(-). © 1985.