Bacteriophages

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Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages are the smallest inhabitants of the soil and they are known to attack and inhabit the cells of bacteria and actinomycetes. Unlike bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and protozoa which can be observed under a compound microscope, bacteriophages can be seen only under an electron microscope because of their minute size.

Some authors prefer to make a sub-division known as actinophages while referring to phages attacking actinomycetes. The phages attacking blue-green algae are known as cyanophages.

Although phages cannot be seen without the help of an electron microscope, the lysis caused by the action of specific phages on their hosts can be seen as ‘plaques’ on agar plates.

Bacteriophages can pass through bacterial filters since their size rarely exceeds 0.05 to 0.01 m in diameter. The bacteriophage has a head-like and a tail-like structure. The tail attaches itself to the surface of the bacterium and gains entry into host’s protoplasm.

Lysis sets in when the bacteriophage multiplies resulting in the liberation of many more units to reinfect new bacterial cells. It is too early to assess the importance of bacteriophages in the overall influence of soil on agricultural productivity since sufficient information on this aspect is lacking to make any generalization.

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