Bacteriophage and the toxigenicity of Clostridium botulinum type C.

Nontoxigenic and bacteriophage-sensitive bacterial cultures have been isolated from toxigenic Clostridium botulinum type C, strain 468C, after treatment with either ultraviolet light or acridine orange. Two bacteriophages, designated CEbeta and CE(gamma), were isolated from toxigenic strain 468C. Both of these bacteriophages were capable of infecting the nontoxigenic type C cultures, but only bacteriophage CEbeta was involved in the change from nontoxigenicity to toxigenicity.