[Selection and properties of totally phage-resistant mutant Pseudomonas putida PpG1]. / Otbor i svoistva "absoliutno-fagoustoichivogo" mutanta Pseudomonas putida PpG1.

The efficiency of using bacteria in open systems to degrade different anthropogenic toxic pollutants can depend strongly on the interaction between these bacteria and natural bacteriophages. The possibility of selecting bacterial Pseudomonas putida mutants resistant to all bacteriophages of this species known so far was tested (in our work, these mutants were designated totally phage-resistant mutants). In a model experiment, changes in the composition of a population upon prolonged growth of bacteria in the presence of one of the virulent phages were examined. On the basis of the results obtained, it is postulated that: (1) Mutants differing in resistance to various phages accumulate in a population; relative numbers of different mutants can undergo alterations over the course of time; mutants selected in the presence of a given virulent phage do not often manifest complete resistance to this phage. (2) It is possible to isolate totally phage-resistant mutants of P. putida PpG1. These mutants carry up to three different mutations simultaneously; however, these mutants regain sensitivity to many phages upon pseudoreversion occurrence.

[Phage-stable mutants of Pseudomonas putida: new types of stability]. / Fagoustoichivnye mutanty Pseudomonas putida: novye tipy ustoichivosti.

More than 170 phage-resistant mutants (PRM) of the first order of Pseudomonas putida strain PpG1 were obtained using newly isolated and previously described bacteriophages specific for this strain. According to the results of analysis of resistance of the mutants to each of 31 phages of PpG1 strain and 8 phages of the PpN strain, the PRM strains were distributed into 20 groups. In most cases, the reason for resistance is loss of absorption capacity of bacteria. However, no direct relation between the level of absorption and efficiency of phage plating was detected. It was shown that some of the PRM of P. putida PpG1 strains acquired the ability to maintain the growth of phages specific for the other P. putida strain, PpN. Frequencies of isolating mutants of various resistance types depend on the concrete phage used. In accordance with their absorption specificity, all phages were distributed into 23 groups, and a tridimensional formal scheme of receptor sites for these phages on the PpG1 strain was drawn. In the process of selection of the PpG1 clones resistant to non-lysogenizing mutant of temperate PP71 phage, a variant of this strain manifesting the phenomenon of "auto-plaquing" was found. These results support the mutational origin of this phenomenon in some cases.

[Study of morphology and genome structure of Pseudomonas putida bacteriophages for their classification]. / Izuchenie morfologii chastits i struktury genomov bakteriofagov Pseudomonas putida s tsel'iu ikh klassifikatsii.

A group of 27 bacteriophages specific for Pseudomonas putida strains PpG1 and PpN has been isolated. The phages were characterized and compared with the previously described virulent (pf 16, af, tf and PMW) and temperate (PP56 and PP71) phages. The new phages belong to B1 and C1 morphotypes, according to Ackerman's classification. Phage DNAs were digested with several endonucleases; the molecular weights and homology of the DNAs were determined. All phages of P. putida isolated up to now were distributed into 10 species (groups), on the basis of particle morphology, genome size and the results of homology studies. Recombination processes are believed to participate in formation of phages belonging to certain species.

[Isolation and comparative characteristics of 2 unrelated temperate phages of Pseudomonas putida PpG1]. / Vydelenie i sravnitel'naia kharakteristika dvukh nerodstvennykh umerennykh fagov Pseudomonas putida PpG1.

Two temperate bacteriophages, PP56 and PP71, specific for bacteria of Pseudomonas putida strain PpG1 have been isolated for the first time. Characterization of the phages was performed. Both of them accomplish stable lysogenization of P. putida PpG1 cells. The phages are inducible. Several groups of clear plaque (c) mutants of PP56 and PP71 with altered processes of establishment and maintenance of lysogenic state have been isolated, according to complementation test. The phages differ in following characters: 1) in morphology of mature phage particles (C and B types, according to Bradley classification); 2) in sizes and genome organizations: DNA of PP56 is permuted (up to 30%), its size is 45 kb, the size of terminal redundancy being 2.5 kb; there is no permutation in PP71 DNA of 48 kb and it has "cohesive" ends; 3) no DNA/DNA homology is shown in tests between PP56 and PP71 DNAs. All the data obtained permitted to consider the phages PP56 and PP71 to belong to different unrelated species (families).