A CRITICAL TEST OF THE RECOMBINATION THEORY OF MULTIPLICITY REACTIVATION

Abstract

Precise survival curves for phage production by bacteria multiple infected with phage T2 inactivated by ultraviolet light have been determined for a wide range of ultraviolet doses, with and without photoreactivation. The results are not compatible with the recombination theory, according to which multiplicity reactivation is due to a recombination of undamaged units from several parental particles.