A bacteriophage of bacillus subtilis which forms plaques only at temperatures above 50 C. 3. Inhibition of TSP-1-specific deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis at 37 C and 45 C

The effect of temperature on phage-specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis was studied in TSP-1-infected Bacillus subtilis. This was facilitated by selectively inhibiting host DNA synthesis with 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil. The results indicated that TSP-1 DNA synthesis did not continue at 37 C and was immediately shut down after transfer to this temperature. Incubation at 45 C greatly reduced TSP-1 DNA synthesis. Phage-specific DNA synthesis could resume at 53 C, however, when the infected culture was returned to 53 C after a 2-min incubation period at 37 C. The results suggest that the inhibition of phage DNA synthesis at 37 C is reversible. Since infected cultures returned to 53 C after 2 min at 37 C could not complete the replicative cycle, the irreversible inhibition of yet another intermediate step was suggested.