Rifampicin-resistant mutant supporting bacteriophage growth on stationary phase Achromobacter cells

A rifampicin-resistant Achromobacter mutant with an altered RNA polymerase was isolated. The mutant supports phage alpha3a growth in both log and stationary phase cells. Phage growth on stationary phase cells is sensitive to aeration and growth only occurs at oxygen concentrations of less than 5-2 p.p.m. The rifampicin-resistant mutant is similar to the spontaneous mutant strain 14 reported by Woods (1976) in that both mutants support stationary-phase phage growth under micro-aerophilic conditions. The isolation of the rifampicin-resistant mutant with an altered RNA polymerase suggests that the phenomenon of stationary phase phage growth could be due to a change in the template specificity of the Achromobacter RNA polymerase. Plaque morphology mutants which grow on log and/or stationary phase cells of the Achromobacter wild type, strain 14 and rifampicin-resistant strains are also described.