Phage φ92: A New Choleraphage Infecting Vibrio cholerae Cells Belonging to Serovars O1 and Non-O1

A new choleraphage, φ92, with an icosahedral head and no tail structure has been described. This phage has a wide host range. It infects and lyses strains belonging to different serovars and biotypes of Vibrio cholerae. The phage utilises host DNA degradation products for its own DNA synthesis. φ92 contains a linear double-stranded DNA of 56 kbp. A physical map of the phage genome has been constructed using the restriction enzyme KpnI. Intracellular development of phage φ92 following infection was examined by thin-section electron microscopy.