STUDIES ON THE BACTERIOPHAGE OF D'HERELLE : VI. ON THE VIRULENCE OF THE OVERGROWTH IN THE LYSED CULTURES OF BACILLUS PESTIS CAVIAE (M. T. II)

Abstract

Resistants isolated from the overgrowth of cultures of B. pestis caviae (M. T. II) lysed by various strains of specific bacteriophage proved to be avirulent when administered to mice by feeding, or by intraperitoneal injection. These cultures remained resistant to the action of bacteriophage so long as they were carried on agar. When transferred to broth, however, one group of resistants, namely, those isolated by means of "weak" phages, became susceptible to lysis after five to seven daily passages. The other group of resistants, isolated from the cultures lysed by one of the "strong" phages, failed to become susceptible to lysis even after nearly 200 passages in broth. Simultaneously with the recovery of susceptibility, the cultures of the first group regained a degree of virulence comparable to that of the parent culture of B. pestis caviae. The cultures of the second group of resistants have failed thus far to recover virulence (10 months after isolation). The latter cultures, apart from lack of both virulence and susceptibility to lysis, are identical with the parent culture of B. pestis caviae, as indicated by biochemical and antigenic properties. Our findings offer evidence in favor of the view that resistant strains result from selection among variants already existing in the parent culture and do not arise through the inheritance of specific immunity properties produced by the action of phage.