Simultaneous presence of antiviral activity and its degrader in Bacillus extracts

Extracts of uninfected Bacillus species ATCC 27877 cells contained both an antiviral activity and a degrader for this activity. The antiviral activity was stable to 90 degrees C, caused a rapid inhibition of phage adsorption, and resulted in a gradual loss of phage infectivity. When extracts were incubated at 37 degrees C, the degrader inactivated the antiviral activity and the degrader was retained. When the extracts were heated at 90 degrees C, the degrader was inactivated and the antiviral activity was retained. A comparison was made of these two activities in extracts from cells of various incubation ages. The apparent association of maximal antiviral activity with prespore cells seemed due to the high content of degrader in vegetative and stationary cells. Both antiviral activity and its degrader appeared to be characteristics of vegetative cells.