Comparison of Bacillus cereus bacteriophages CP-51 and CP-53.

Transducing bacteriophages CP-51 and CP-53 were compared. Unlike CP-51, CP-53 appeared to be a lysogenizing phage. CP-51 gave greater frequencies of co-transduction for linked markers than did CP-53. CP-51 was found to be a larger phage which carried more deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) than CP-53. CP-51 DNA contained about 43% guanine plus cytosine and in addition contained 5-hydroxymethyluracil in place of thymine. CP-53 DNA contained no unusual bases; its guanine plus cytosine content was 37%.