[Isolation of biologically active halves of the long tail fibers and whiskers of bacteriophage T4].

The following substructural elements of bacteriophage T4 have been isolated in homogeneous and biologically active state: the whole long tail fibrils, distal and proximal halves of the long tail fibrils and whiskers. It has been shown that during the infection of Escherichia coli with T4 amber-mutants (defective in the genes coding for heads and tails), the major part of distal and proximal fibril halves found within the cell appears to be unassociated. The interaction of distal and proximal fibril halves with the bacteriophage particle is necessary for the whole tail fibril formation to proceed effectively.