Abstract
Bacteriophage 7-7-1 is shown to adsorb specifically to the complex flagella of its host Rhizobium lupini H13-3. Deflagellation of motile cells before the addition of phage leads to a complete inhibition of phage propagation for at least 60 min. Among phage-resistant mutants, many non-motile (mot) and non-flagellated (fla) derivatives of R. lupini H13-3 have been selected. Electron microscopic observations indicate that bacteriophage 7-7-1 attaches with its short tail fibres to the conspicuous helical filament of R. lupini flagella. This attachment is reversible; irreversible phage adsorption takes place at the flagellar base. It is postulated that phage 7-7-1 moves along the rotating flagellum towards a final receptor next to the insertion site of the flagellum, where tail contraction and injection of phage nucleic acid occurs.
* Present address: Institute for Enzyme Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc. 53706, U.S.A.
† Present address: Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Erlangen, D-8520 Erlangen, Germany.
‡ Present address: Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Universität Regensburg, D-8400 Regensburg, Germany (to whom reprint requests should be directed).