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Interaction between bacteriophage Sf6 and Shigella flexner.

A A Lindberg·R Wollin·P Gemski·J A Wohlhieter
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Abstract

The Shigella flexneri phage Sf6 has an isometric head with hexagonal symmetry 53nm in diameter. The noncontractile tails in 16 nm long and terminates with a base plate containing six spikes. Sf6 is typical of the C phages in the morphological classification of Bradley. Phage Sf6 processes alpha-1,3-endorhamnosidase activity as demonstrated by methylation and reducing end group sugar analyses of the products obtained on interaction with the O-polysaccharide chain of S.flexneri strains which have the O-group 3,4 antigen. The major end product was an octasaccharide with the following structure: Rha III-GlcNAc-Rha I-Rha II-Rha III-GlcNAc-Rha I-Rha II. Acetylation of 0-2 of rhamnose III of the O-polysaccharide chain, either brought about by Sf6 lysogenization or found in wild-type S. flexneri (3b) strains, prevented enzymatic hydrolysis. O-deacetylation of the polysaccharide chain again made it susceptible to the S6f endorhamnosidase.

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Antigens, BacterialColiphagesLysogenyPolysaccharides, BacterialRhamnoseShigella flexneriJournal Article

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BibTeXRIS

A A Lindberg, R Wollin, P Gemski, J A Wohlhieter. 1978. Interaction between bacteriophage Sf6 and Shigella flexner.. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.27.1.38-44.1978

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