RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Weiner, M. P. A1 Zahler, S. A.YR 1988 T1 Genome Homology and Host Range of Some SPβ-related Bacteriophages of Bacillus Subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JF Journal of General Virology, VO 69 IS 6 SP 1307 OP 1315 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-69-6-1307 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Summary Temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages SBβ, ø3T and SPR and B. amyloliquefaciens phage H2 were compared with respect to DNA-DNA homology by Southern blot analysis to each other and to members of the genus Bacillus. The results show that H2 is a distantly related member of the group III B. subtilis phages. Detectable homology to group III phages could be found in the DNA of several other Bacillus species, including B. natto and B. amyloliquefaciens, demonstrating the widespread occurrence of this group of phages. The host ranges for the phages SPβ, SPR and H2 were determined by adsorption efficiency and by the ability of erythromycin resistance- and chloramphenicol resistance-transducing phages to convert susceptible host strains. Of the three phages examined, only H2 was capable of infecting B. amyloliquefaciens. Based on these results we propose that group III phages should be divided into three subgroups: SPβ, ø3T, Rho11, IG1, IG3 and Z (subgroup 1), SPR (subgroup 2) and H2 (subgroup 3)., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-69-6-1307