Inhibition of T7 development at high concentrations of the phage

Escherichia coli B exposed to high doses of bacteriophage T7 did not lyse. A similar effect was observed when the high dose was added within the first 7 min after primary infection. No viable phage was formed. DNA synthesis was inhibited rapidly and the nucleoid structure was absent. Protein synthesis was in general markedly reduced and so were the activities of the phage-specific enzymes endolysin and DNA polymerase. However, phage genes were transcribed both by the host RNA polymerase and by the phage-specific enzyme. We suggest that inhibition of phage development is due to structural alterations occurring in the cell wall/membrane such that replication is inhibited.