[Isolation and general characteristics of a group of Pseudomonas aeruginosa temperate phages]

Eighteen temperate phages were isolated from 38 natural strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The phages belong to five heteroimmune groups according to the ability of lysogenic variants of the strains PAO1 and PAT2 to exclude the growth of the superinfecting phage. Phages of the II and V immunity groups are serologically similar; the remaining phages are not inactivated by antisera against phages B26 (II group) and K1338 (V group). Prophages of the II, IV, and V groups are induced by UV for vegetative growth. Phages belonging to different immunity groups vary in their morphology and particle size as was found by electron microscopy. Phages of the I, II, IV and V groups comprise one morphological type, those of the III group are of another morphological type. Phages of the IV group are not adsorbed on the bacterial mutants resistant to phages of the II and V immunity groups.