Abstract
A general procedure was described for the study of the specificity of absorption of bacteriophage by heat-killed bacilli. 1 , 2 , 3 Polyvalent phages derived from chicken stool filtrates and propagated either against a strain of paratyphosus A or enteritidis were shown to consist of at least 2 prominent qualitatively different fractions, the one selective for suipestifer strains and another for the typhosus-paratyphosus B group. This effect was readily demonstrated by testing the quality of the residual phage with several serologically different sensitive organisms. The question naturally presented itself as to whether or not antiphages may be employed to indicate the presence in a phage of the several fractions.
Accordingly 4 series of rabbits were injected intravenously with the 2 polyvalent phages for paratyphosus A and for enteritidis and also with the presumably monovalent paratyphosus B and suipestifer phages. After 4 injections of 2 cc. each, potent antiphages, practically lacking in agglutinins were readily obtained in all instances except in the case of the suipestifer phage.
Experiments demonstrating the production of 2 antibodies corresponding to the fractions in the polyvalent phages are given in Table I. The results show that the antisera for the paratyphosus A and enteritidis phages contain potent antibodies which neutralize the action of the typhosus-paratyphosus B fraction of the polyvalent enteritidis phage (Table I A, aertrycke of the paratyphosus B group, as test organism); both antisera also possess antibodies for the suipestifer fraction but to varying degrees of activity. Although the antiphage for paratyphosus B contains just as potent neutralizing antibodies as the other 2 antiphages, the former has no inhibiting action whatever on the same phage when suipestifer is used as the test organism. (Table IB.)
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