INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN O F BACTERIOLOGICAL
NOMENCLATURE AND TAXONOMY
July 15, 1961
pp. 99-100
Volume 11
No. 3
THE DEFINITION O F PHAGE TYPES
O F SALMONELLA PARATYPHI B
Dr. R. Th. Scholtens
National Institute of Public Health
Utrecht, Netherlands
SUMMARY: A p h a g e t y p e i s d e f i n e d a s a c o l l e c t i o n of b a c t e r i a l s t r a i n s w i t h t h e s a m e
phage relationships.
Satisfactory type definitions have been developed for Salmonella
typhi.
Definition for type definitions for
_---S . -----p a r a t y p h i B_ a r e d i s c u s s e d .
P h a g e typing r e s u l t s in a v a r i e t a l subdivision of SalmonKauffmann 1959) into phage t y p e s .
A phage type i s a collection of b a c t e r i a l s t r a i n s with the
s a m e phage relationships .
Before taxonomy of types can be d i s c u s s e d a definitionof
type i s n e c e s s a r y . The application of t h i s type definition
should give r i s e t o a s y s t e m a t i c a r r a n g e m e n t of types, i f
p o s s i b l e . The conditions which a collection of b a c t e r i a l
s t r a i n s m u s t s a t i s f y i f such collection i s to be recognized
a s a phage type m u s t be a guarantee of the homogeniety of
the collection. T h e s e conditions m u s t be satisfied objectively
and m u s t be reproducable.
Such a type definition r e s u l t s f o r Salmonella typhi. Anew
type i s being d e t e r m i n e d b y and adaptation of a V i phage, and,
a s far as possible by a n adaptation of a phage V i IIof C r a i g i e
and Yeh (1938). The homogeneity of the phage types was
confirmed by a n examination of the lysogenic p r o p e r t i e s .
T h e relationship is different with 5. paratyphi 2. A
s i m i l a r type definition i s not given in the s y s t e m of F e l i x
and Callow (1951). The r o l e of the adaptations of phage 1
of F e l i x and Callow is different f r o m that of phage V i I1 in
the s y s t e m of C r a i g i e and Yen. It h a s a p p e a r e d that the
adaptations of phage 1 of F e l i x and Callow indicated groups
of types (Scholtens, 1955). T h e s e groups can b e subdivided
with specific phage reactions into t y p e s a s i s done in the
natural s y s t e m of phage types of Salmonella p a r a t y p h i g
(Scholtens, 1956, 1959).
With the natural system of " p h a g e types" a type defini-
ella ( s p e c i e s ,
Downloaded from www.microbiologyresearch.org by
IP: 88.99.165.207
On: Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:47:29
P a g e 100
INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
tion r e s u l t s f o r the phage types of Salmonella paratyphi ,B;
all b a c t e r i a l s t r a i n s of a n a t u ra l phage type p o s s e s s the
s a m e phage sensitivities b e s i d e s the s a m e lysogenic prope r t i e s (Scholtens, 1952). The homogeneity of one of the
group o f p r o p e r t i e s is a guarantee of homogeneity as r e g a r d s
the o t h e r . T h i s type definition r e s u l t s i n a s ys t emat i c
a r r a n g e m e n t of types (Scholtens, 1956). It c o v e r s all the
phage relationships (p ro p e rt i e s ) of the bact er i al s t r a i n s . It
a g r e e s with the International Code of Nomenclature of t he
B a c t e r i a and V i ru s e s that recognized the individual m i c r o b r g a n i s m a s a unit.
LITERATURE
Craigie, J . A . and C.H. Yen. 1938. Can. Publ. Hlth.
J o u r . 29: 448.
Felix, A . a n d 8.R. Callow. 1951. The Lancet, 11, 3 .
Kauffmann, F. 1959. Internatl. Bull. Bact. Nomen. and
Taxon. 2:l
257.
Scholtens, R. Th . 1952. Ant. v. Leeuwenhoek.
1956. Ant. v. Leeuwenhoek. 22: 65.
1959. Ant. v. Leeuwenhoek. 25: 403.
18:
.
.
Downloaded from www.microbiologyresearch.org by
IP: 88.99.165.207
On: Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:47:29