A lack of inhibitory action of bacteriophage T4 ghosts in the presence of EDTA.

Adsorption of bacteriophage T4 ghosts on to Escherichia coli cells has been known to cause a dramatic change in the cellular metabolism, the effect being similar to that of colicin K. It is shown here that the inhibitory activity of ghosts is not expressed either at 0 degrees C in the ordinary media (like colicin K) or even at 30 degrees C in a medium containing EDTA, in contrast to colicin K. Since the process of sheath contraction of T4 phage is blocked by EDTA, it is suggested that the adsorbed ghosts may not exert their inhibitory activity until sheath extraction occurs.