In article <kwarner-2501971023530001 at cha-nc9-34.ix.netcom.com>,
kwarner at unccvm.uncc.edu (Keith Warner) wrote:
> Here is the problem. I am working with several isogenic strains of S.
> aureus. One of the strains will often lose turbidity after 3 to 4 hours
> growth in broth and eventually become completely clear. This clearing
> occurs only after inoculation of fresh broth with an overnight broth
> culture--never happens in broth when inoculating from a plate. Addition of
> the lysate to spread plates of S. aureus, E. coli, and B. subtilis produce
> 'plaques'. Filtration of the lysate with a 0.45 micron pore filter
> eliminates plaque formation. What's the story?
Sounds like you found bacteriophage (viruses of bacteria) I don't know why
you see plaques on E. coli and B. subtilis, phage are usually very host
specific.
Does anyone know if it could be Bdellovibrio (parasitic bacteria).
Matt Nilles
Dept. of Microbiol. and Immunol.
Univ. of Kentucky
