Characterization of a new Bacillus megaterium bacteriophage, MJ-1, from tropical soil

A new Bacillus megaterium bacteriophage is characterized. It is a tailed phage with regular polyhedral head belonging to Bradley's group B. Head and tail dimensions are 56.4 and 300 nm, respectively. Lysis was restricted to strains of B. megaterium. No antigenic relationship with pumilus phage FP-1 or subtilis phage FS-1 was observed. The phage is sensitive to 60 degrees C and moderately sensitive to chloroform. The nucleic acid is double-stranded linear DNA with a G-C mole% of 38.8 and a mol wt of (53 +/- 3) X 10(6).