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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2008, p. 5113-5120, Vol. 74, No. 16
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00306-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Simple Method for Plating Escherichia coli Bacteriophages Forming Very Small Plaques or No Plaques under Standard Conditions

Joanna M. o,^1, Piotr Golec,^1, Grzegorz Wgrzyn,^1,2 Alicja Wgrzyn,³ and Marcin o^1*

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdask, Kadki 24, 80-822 Gdask, Poland,¹ Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstaców Warszawy 55, 81-721 Sopot, Poland,² Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdask, Poland³

Received 5 February 2008/ Accepted 20 June 2008

The use of low concentrations (optimally 2.5 to 3.5 µg/ml, depending on top agar thickness) of ampicillin in the bottom agar of the plate allows for formation of highly visible plaques of bacteriophages which otherwise form extremely small plaques or no plaques on Escherichia coli lawns. Using this method, we were able to obtain plaques of newly isolated bacteriophages, propagated after induction of prophages present in six E. coli O157:H^– strains which did not form plaques when standard plating procedures were employed.

Published ahead of print on 27 June 2008.

J.M.L. and P.G. contributed equally to this work.