[Inhibition of phagolysis in a Bacillus thuringiensis culture by chitosan].

The ability of chitosan (poly-D-glucosamine) and two chitosan salts to prevent the phagolysis of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. galleriae strain 1-97 was studied. Chitosan and its salts inhibited the productive infection caused by two nonrelated bacteriophages 1-97A and 1-97B and suppressed the culture lysis upon spontaneous prophage induction. The efficiency of inhibition depended on the chitosan concentration, medium composition, and bacteriophage type.