Synergistic Action of Bisulfite and Dimethylsulfoxide on Bacteriophage Lambda

A synergistic action of sodium bisulfite and dimethylsulfoxide on bacteriophage lambda was found. A combination of 1M sodium bisulfite, pH5, and 3% dimethylsulfoxide showed a strong phage-inactivating effect, whereas 1M sodium bisulfite alone or 3% dimethylsulfoxide alone was without effect. It was shown that both bisulfite and dimethylsulfoxide must be present simultaneously in the incubation mixture to achieve the inactivation. The phages that had been treated with a mixture of bisulfite and dimethylsulfoxide were shown to have lost their ability to transfer the viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to the host bacteria. It was also observed that a DNA sample isolated from the treated phages was fully active in transfection assay. From these results, it was concluded that the target of the reagents was the coat protein of the phage.