The Characterization of a Series of Lactobacillus Bacteriophages

The properties of four Lactobacillus casei phages and eleven L. fermenti phages are presented. Most of these phages are species specific; some have a limited intraspecies action. The two groups of phages are serologically distinct, but the members of each group are related serologically. All the phages have slow adsorption rates. The L. casei phages are citrate insensitive, while some of the L. fermenti phages are citrate sensitive. The L. fermenti phages have shorter latent periods than the L. casei phages and this correlates directly with the generation times of their hosts. The phages are large and have a tadpole appearance.