New temperate bacteriophage for Bacillus subtilis, rho 11.

A new temperate bacteriophage, rho11, isolated by J. Hoch, has been characterized. This new phage is very similar to the temperate phage phi3T in size (380 nm), host range, homoimmunity, DNA buoyant density (1.694 g/ml), antigenicity, and molecular weight (around 6.0 X 10(7)) as determined in gels. Like phi3T, rho11 converts thymine auxotrophs to prototrophy at high frequency (250 out of 250 tested). Phage rho11 differs from phi3T in plaque morphology and in the endonuclease R-EcoRI digest pattern. Sixteen of the 20 rho11 DNA fragments have migration patterns corresponding to those of the 21 fragments of phi3T. The close similarities yet clear differences between these phages suggest that the two phages have a common ancestor.