Classification of bacterial viruses; the relationship of two Serratia phages to coli-dysentery phages T3, T7, and D44.

Routine serological testing of a number of strains of bacteriophage indicated that some of them were related serologically to coliphages T3 and T7. One of these strains was dysentery phage D44, placed by Burnet (1933) in serological group 2 of the coli-dysentery phages. Two others were phage strains I and IV of the group of Serratia marcescens phages described by Wasermann and Seligmann (1953). Possesson of these five serologically related phage strains permitted a systematic study of their properties for the purpose of defining the characteristics of the T3,D44 species of bacteriophage. This paper is another step in the development of a systematic classification of the bacteriophages (Adams, 1953).