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Structure and Composition of Xanthomonas pruni Bacteriophage

Division of Biology Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, U.S.A.

This communication deals with the detailed morphology, buoyant density, and chemical composition of Xanthomonas pruni phage XP5 (Mandell & Eisenstark, 1953).

In agreement with earlier descriptions (Thornberry, Eisenstark & Anderson, 1948; Hickman, 1955), electron micrographs revealed that the phage has a polyhedral head, which, via a neck region, connects with a contractile tail. The phage head has a hexagonal outline, 600 Å across opposite apices.

The ‘neck’ connecting the phage head and tail is 80 Å in length, but the exact point at which it connects to head and tail is not clearly defined. The contractile tail is composed of an outer sheath and a central core, terminating with a base plate. Attached to the base plate are six tail spikes, each 100 Å long. In its extended form the sheath is 800 x 200 Å, with 20 cross bands (Pl. 1, fig. 1, 2).

Received 23 November 1967; accepted 13 February 1968.