The protein components of a mycobacteriophage were dissociated with various concentrations of KOH. The tails disintegrated at concentrations leaving the heads intact. The process of disintegration of the heads was gradual and increased when the normality of the potassium hydroxide was augmented. Following dialysis of this alkaline degraded material against distilled water at +4° and adjustment of pH to 5 a reaggregation of protein fragments very similar to tails was observed. This also occurred before disintegration of the heads. The alkaline-degraded material was studied by immunodiffusion before and after dialysis; the ability to precipitate with antibodies was lost after treatment with strong KOH but was recovered after dialysis.
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