Electron Microscope Study of the Multiplication of the Actinophage Affecting

Although fundamental problems relating to phage multiplication have been attacked with various genetic, biochemical, and morphologic methods, important questions still remain to be solved especially concerning gene and chromosome replications and DNA synthesis in phages. Recently phages which attack species of Streptomyces have become the subject of study by many workers because of the industrial utilization of actinomycetes in the production of antibiotics. After Bennett's (1946) discovery of the practical significance of the actinophage attacking Streptomyces griseus, the interest of many authors was roused and a number of investigations were published by Woodruff et al. (1947); Terada (1955); Mabuchi (1951); Van Alstyne et al, (1955) and others. By use of the electron microscope much information has been obtained on the size and shape of the actinophage affecting strains of Streptomyces in vitro. Little, however, is known of the appearance and distribution of virus in the living cells of the host. Therefore, the author has attempted to observe the lytic changes and alterations of intracellular structures in Streptomyces griseus after infection by the phage.