Effects of radiophosphorus decay in bacteriophage T4D. I. The mechanism of phage inactivation. [/sup 32/P]

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1975 · Virology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0042-6822(75)90142-7· OSTI ID:7195048

Levy, J N

Decay of /sup 32/P incorporated into the DNA of bacteriophage T4D inactivates the phage and produces single- and double-strand breaks in phage DNA, all with single-hit kinetics. The lethal efficiency for /sup 32/P-labeled phage stored in buffer at 4/sup 0/ was 0.10, and double-strand breaks in the DNA are formed at the same rate. When the storage medium is supplemented with 2.8 percent (w/v) AET (2-aminoethyl isothiouronium bromide hydrogen bromide, a free-radical trap), double-strand breaks and lethal damages occur at the rate of 0.06 per /sup 32/P decay. This suggests that double-strand breaks are the lethal damages. Single-strand breaks accumulate at the rate of one per /sup 32/P decay for /sup 32/P-labeled phage stored in buffer at 4/sup 0/. The lethal efficiency of /sup 33/P for phage stored in buffer is about 65 percent that of /sup 32/P. The protective effect of AET is nearly as great for /sup 33/P-labeled T4D as it is for /sup 32/P-labeled T4D. For /sup 32/P, between 35 and 89 percent of the lethality is due to recoil. Not more than 10 percent of the lethality is due to radiation effects, and the remainder (if any) is due to transmutation. For /sup 33/P, recoil accounts for less than half (probably no more than 5 percent) of the lethality. Radiation can account for nearly half of the lethality. Transmutation could account for all of the lethality and probably accounts for over half.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington, Seattle
• OSTI ID: 7195048
• Journal Information: Virology; (United States), Journal Name: Virology; (United States) Vol. 68:1; ISSN VIRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560164* -- Radionuclide Effects-Internal Source-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AET
AMINES
BACTERIOPHAGES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
DNA
DRUGS
INACTIVATION
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LETHAL IRRADIATION
LIGHT NUCLEI
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PHOSPHORUS 32
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
STRAND BREAKS
THIOUREAS
VIRUSES