Identification of four loci isolated from two Streptococcus thermophilus phage genomes responsible for mediating bacteriophage resistance

Sequence data derived from the Streptococcus thermophilus phages phi O1205 and phi 7201 indicated that each of these phages contains a distinct DNA re gion dedicated to replication. Southern blotting experiments showed that ph ages infecting S. thermophilus may be divided into at least two groups, eac h containing the presumptive replication functions of either phi O1205 (gro up I) or phi 7201 (group II). Specific regions from the putative replicatio n module of each of the two phages were examined for their ability to provi de phage resistance. (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Societ ies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.