BACTERIOPHAGES THAT LYSE MYCOBACTERIA AND CORYNEBACTERIA, AND SHOW CYTOPATHOGENIC EFFECT ON TISSUE CULTURES OF RENAL CELLS OF CERCOPITHECUS AETHIOPS: A PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION.

Bacteriophages isolated from sputum and resection specimens of patients suffering from carcinoma of the lung were found to lyse corynebacteria and mycobacteria, and to produce a cytopathogenic effect on certain cells in tissue cultures. From the same and other patients with neoplastic disease, bacteria were isolated and described as coryne-mycobacteria because of bacteriological features they shared with both species. These bacteria, which either were sensitive to mycobacteriophages and corynebacteriophages or were phage-immune lysogenic bacteria, could be induced to produce lytic particles with phagolytic activity on corynebacteria and mycobacteria and a cytopathogenic effect on HeLa cells and on the renal cells of Cercopithecus.