Research@Lincoln
    • Login
     
    View Item 
    •   Research@Lincoln Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Theses and Dissertations with Restricted Access
    • View Item
    •   Research@Lincoln Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Theses and Dissertations with Restricted Access
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    A study of some facultatively thermophilic soil viruses

    Reanney, D. C.
    Abstract
    1) Results of some pilot studies on the ecology of thermophilic phage in soil are reported. 2) The possible use of phage as a monitor for the activity of spore-forming bacteria in soil has been assessed. 3) It has been shown that the optimal temperature for the growth of "thermophilic" phage in soil is 45°C (or 37°) and not 55°. This fact, in conjunction with other data, suggests that most phage parasitic upon B. stearothermophilus are biochemically adapted to mesophily in soil rather than thermophily. It is suggested that all thermophilic viruses isolated for soil bacteria represent merely a mutant minority of a population of particles widely distributed with respect to heat tolerance. 4) 4 facultatively thermophilic viruses have been isolated for B. stearothermophilus T16. 5) The biological properties of 2 of these phages, D-S and D-6, have been determined. 6) The growth and lytic ability of phages D-S and D-6 have been compared at a mesophilic and thermophilic temperature. 7) The thermostability of phage D-S in broth and in dilute and strong salt solution has been determined. From this data some inferences concerning the nature of thermo-phily can be drawn. 8) The morphology of phage D-5 has been elucidated from an electron microscopic study 9) The problem of the origin of the genetic code is discussed in the light of known data. 10) It is postulated that ancient codes contained only 2 bases and coded for only a few amino acids. 11) It is suggested that the 2 primordial bases may have been U and I. Features of the code and its evolution are examined in terms of this theory. 12) Evidence for amino acid - polynucleotide interaction is reviewed. 13) Some selective advantages of circular DNA are described in terms of selected contemporary genomes. 14) It is postulated that DNA circularity played an obligatory role in the extension of gene data throughout evolution. The significance of repeat base sequences in eucaryote DNA is assessed in terms of this theory. 15) The role of viruses as gene vectors is discussed. It is postulated that the genomes of viruses and cellular species are in constant interaction and that this exchange of gene data has been not merely advantageous but necessary for the evolutionary process.... [Show full abstract]
    Keywords
    thermophilic microorganisms; spore-forming bacteria; soil bacteria; viruses; thermophily; phage; soil microbiology
    Fields of Research
    0605 Microbiology; 060504 Microbial Ecology
    Date
    1972
    Type
    Thesis
    Access Rights
    Digital thesis can be viewed by current staff and students of Lincoln University only. Print copy available for reading in Lincoln University Library.
    Collections
    • Theses and Dissertations with Restricted Access [2368]
    • Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences [716]
    View/Open
    Staff/student login to read
    Share this

    on Twitter on Facebook on LinkedIn on Reddit on Tumblr by Email

    Metadata
     Expand record
    This service is maintained by Learning, Teaching and Library
    • Archive Policy
    • Copyright and Reuse
    • Deposit Guidelines and FAQ
    • Contact Us
     

     

    Browse

    All of Research@LincolnCommunities & CollectionsTitlesAuthorsKeywordsBy Issue DateThis CollectionTitlesAuthorsKeywordsBy Issue Date

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics
    This service is maintained by Learning, Teaching and Library
    • Archive Policy
    • Copyright and Reuse
    • Deposit Guidelines and FAQ
    • Contact Us