Characterization of SE-3, a Virulent Bacteriophage of Saccharopolyspora erythraea

1 Département de Microbiologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (Québec) JIK 2R1, Canada 2 Département d'Anatomie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (Québec) JIK 2R1, Canada 3 Faculté de Médecine, and Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (Québec) JIK 2R1, Canada ABSTRACT Summary: SE-3 is a virulent bacteriophage isolated from a large-scale culture of Saccharopolyspora erythraea , an erythromycin producer. The host range of the phage is narrow, limited to some strains of this species. Another strain of Sac. erythraea , and a strain of Sac. hirsuta , are able to adsorb phage particles but do not sustain their complete multiplication. SE-3 is closely related to the phage SE-5 as shown by DNA restriction mapping. The differences between SE-3 and SE-5 genomes are apparently limited to two DNA segments flanked by short inverted repeats, visualized by electron microscopy. Present address: O rodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Biotechnologii, Staro cinska 5, Warszawa, Poland. Present address: Centre de Recherches Alimentaires, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.