[Structure and protein composition of the bacteriophage T2L connector]

Methods of isolating structural bacteriophage T2 fragments containing: 1. a fragment consisting of a connector, tail tube and contracted sheath; 2. a fragment consisting of a free head, a connector and contracted sheath; 3. a fraction of some free tail tube and some free connectors; 4. a fraction of some free tail, free connectors and free fibers. The following parameters of connector consisting from a neck and a sleeve, which in its turn consists of a cap and a leg, are determined by means of electrone microscopy: 1) the length and the diameter of a cap and a sleeve being 45 and 145 A respectively; 2) the length and the diameter of a sleeve leg being 45 and 85 A respectively; 3) the length and the diameter of a connector neck being 85 and 70 A respectively. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed in connectors proteins having molecular weight of 14 000, 15 000, 26 000 and 35 000 daltons.

[Chemical suturing of myosin and actin to capron fiber]

Immobilization of myosin, actin, actomyosin and subfragment S1 on kapron fibre was achieved with the help of glutaric aldehyde. The ATPase activity of myosin and its ability to interact with actin is preserved; while the ATPase activity of S1 subfragment decreases considerably. The immobilization on kapron fibre changes the pH-dependance of ATPase activity of myosin and that of subfragment S1, shifting the maximum to low pH zone (pH 5.5), and increases the thermostability of the enzyme. The ions of Ca++ in all cases act as an activating agent on ATPase while the ions of Mg++ either do not affect myosin and subfragment S1 at all, or increase the activity in the case of the immobilized of actomyosin but to a lesser degree than the ions of Ca++. The immobilized actin preserves its ability to form actomyosin complex.

Molecular weight of base plates of bacteriophage T4D

Highly purified base plates of bacteriophage T4D were obtained from lysate of gene 19 am mutant of this phage by differential centrifugation and sucrose gradient. Base plates were studied by means of high speed sedimentation equilibrium. The molecular weight determined by this method is (6.7 plus or minus 0.2)-10-6.

Isolation and characterization of bacteriophage T4 base plates

A method for isolating bacteriophage T4 base plates from lysates of Escherichia coli B cells infected with the ts mutant in gene 19, ts B31 has been developed. By electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel with sodium dodecyl sulfate the base plates have been shown to contain five to seven protein components with molecular weights of 36,000, 53,000, 66,000, 81,000, 87,000, and probably about 100,000. Electron microscope studies have demonstrated that base plates may occur in two structural states: in the form of hexagons or stars. Star rays and short fibrils are not radial or elongated and are turned sideways at an angle to the radius. Base plates do not complement in vitro with free tail cores isolated after disintegration of particles of the wild-type bacteriophage.