CONTEMPORARY IDEAS ON THE NATURE OF BACTERIOPHAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600370060-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2011
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: December 21, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIG Ndi NCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Scientific - Medicine, microbiology
HOW
PUBLISHED Weekly newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED' Moscov
DATE
PUBLISHED 23 Nov 1950
LANGUAGE
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST. Dec 1950
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT
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Meditsinskiy Rabotnik, Vol XIII, No 47 (911), p 2.
CONTEMPORARY IDEAS ON THE NATURE OF BACTERIOPHAGE
Prof G~ Kalina
Chernovtsy
If some speculative hypotheses of foreign Weismannist scientists are disre-
garded, the prevalent idea" on the nature of the bacteriophage can be classified
in four main categories:
1. Bacteriophage is an enzyme eliminated by the bacteria in the course of
their decay. The presence of bacteriophage stimulates the production of more
bacteriophage by the culture.
2. Bacteriophage is a sexual form of the microbes.
3. Bacteriophage is a filterable form of the microbes whose lysis it pro-
duces.
4. Bacteriophage is a virus which propagates exclusively in the bodies of
microbes, causing the latter's destruction.
The hypothesis indicated under "1" has been advanced by V. V. Suknev. He
holds that bacteriophage is an enzyme which he calls "avisuagen."" Avisuagen is
nrdduced by microbes in the process of their transformation into a filterable
modification.
A similar enzyme producing lysis is postulated by N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov,
who describes this enzyme as a "necroferment." According to Zhukov-Verezhnikov's
conception, the necrofe:meat, i.e.', the bacteriophage, is the male sexual ele-
ment of the microorganism. Upon penetrating into an ordinary microbial cell, it
fertilizes the latter, according to Zhukov-Verezhnikov, and division of the cell
into much smaller particles representing the progeny results. M. D. Utenkov is
in agreement with the assumption that a sexual process is involved in the action
of bacteriophage, but holds that sexual cells are formed due to a specific:trans-
formation of ordinary vegetative cells into the latter. Utenkov further assumes
that the sexual'cells copulate, and that phagolysis takes place when a zygote has
formed.
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1
SEER
Hypotheses which identify the bacteriophage with filterable modifications
of bacteria have been advanced by N. F. Gamaleya (who originally discovered
bacteriophagia), V. A. Krestovnikova, and G. H. Bosh'yan. According to Gama-
leya, lysis of microbes occurs as a result of accelerated division which is not
aceuipanigd by growth, and the filterable form thus derived from the ordinary
vegetative cells stimulates division of the ordinary cells when added to a cul-
ture of the latter. Krestovnikova and Bosh'yan also assume that bacteriophage
is simply a filterable form of the microbe.
The sexual theory is not very convincing. Utenkov has not given a single
proof of his assumptions. He forgets that phenomena of vegetative hybridization
are prevalent among bacteria. Such phenomena, as Darwin already remarked, lead
to results that are closely similar to those produced by sexual hybridization.
According to T. D. Lysenko, vegetative hybridization not only gives rise to the
same forms of heredity as sexual hybridization, but renews and strengthens the
vigor of the organism. While observation with the aid of an electron micro-
scope demonstrated that the bacteriophage has a shape resembling that of a
spermatozoon, and that only one particle of the phage penetrates into the bac-
teris.l cell, the superficial analogy with the process of fertilization must not
be regarded_as proving identity of the two processes fbacteriophagia and fer-
tilization)
The hypothesis formulated by GamaLeya and developed by Krestovnikova and
Bosh'yan seems plausible. Spontaneous formation of the bacteriophage in old
cultures apparently confirms this hypothesis. However, the bacterial form is
converted into.filterable modifications under a variety of conditions. Fil-
terable forms are obtained not only in phagolyzates, but also from both old and
24-hour cultures of bacteria (the latter showing no sign of autolysis) after
they have been submitted to one of a great number of possible treatments. Fil-
terable forms are formed not only during the destruction of cells, but also
while the cells are alive. Besides, such filterable forms do not exhibit bac-
teriophagic action even after they have been passed repeatedly through a cul-
ture of bacteria. It is incorrect to assume, as Bosh'yan does, the identity of
the bacteriophage with the filterable form on the ground that secondary cul-
tures can be regenerated from phagofiltrates; the latter may-contain both the
phage which has multiplied in the course of the lysis induced by.it and, in ad-
dition to that, a filterable form which does nc.t exhibit any bacteriophagic ac-
tion.
Investigations by means of the electron microscope give the following pic-
ture. The phage, provided with a tail, after penetrating into the bacterial
cell, brings about lysis of the latter. The disintegration of the cell results
in the formation of several hundred phage particles as well as the formation of
morphological structures which Zhukov-Verezhnilov refers to as protoplasmic
granules. These granules are nothing but the filterable modification of the
bacterium, and their morphological structure is distinct from that of the bac-
teriophage.
How can these contradictory observations be reconciled in the light of
Bosh'yan's conception in regard to the identity of filterable bacterial forms
with. viruses, a conception which we fully share? One may assume that the bac-
teriophage dues fora from the f it ter nblc but { s uelite.t vei y
different due to a special form of adaptation. The conditions under which the
filterable modification is transformed into the phage comprise a special state
of the medium and a peculiar condition of the bacterial population functioning
in the capacity of host to the parasitic filterable form. The length of con-
tact of the filterable form with cells which have lost their resistance under
unfavorable conditions, are too old, and have accumulated products of metabo-
lism, is also of importance. Attempts to reproduce the particular set of
2
Ant
gioll
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conditions which bring about transformation of the filterable form into the
bacteriophage have been unsuccessful hitherto, but this does not mean that they
will be unsuccessful in the future.
In our opinion, it is.certain that the secondary cultures obtained by from
phage, whichslosesderivthee toir generaterinto theimatureon
mod ratherathan thphagop
stage of the bacterium.
The questions under consideration are of importance not only from the
theoretical standpoint, but also as far as practical applications are concerned.
The perfection of bacteriophage as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent as well
as the utilization of phagolyzates for establishing nonsterile immunity depend
on the solution of these questions.
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