Sensitivity of the g-complex Antigenic Salmonella Strains to M8, a Host-range Mutant of Bacteriophage x

The receptor site for bacteriophage x, a Salmonella phage, has been known to be a bacterial flagellum, but the presence of flagella alone is not enough for bacteria to be susceptible to the x phage: flagella must be both motile and of a correct antigenic type (Meynell, 1961). Among a large number of flagellar (H) antigen types of Salmonella those called g-complex antigen types (g, p, f, g, etc.) are associated with x-resistance. From this phage, Sasaki (1962) isolated a host-range mutant M8, to which g-complex antigenic Salmonella strains showed different degrees of sensitivity in a spot test. The present investigation was undertaken to see if the differences in M8 sensitivity among the g-complex antigenic strains have any relation with their flagellar antigen types. The method used consisted of the sensitivity tests with both naturally occurring strains and artificial strains to which foreign flagellar antigens had been transduced.