ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC EVIDENCE FOR A BACTERIOPHAGE CYCLE IN DIPHTHEROIDS OBSERVED IN HUMAN SKIN

[摘要] During an ultrastructural investigation of erythrasma lesions clear evidence was obtained for a cycle of bacteriophage development in diphtheroids in human skin. This is believed to be the 1st electron microscopic observation of bacterio-phages in human material. Numerous intracellular phages were seen in diphtheroids proliferating on the skin surface and within the stratum corneum. Both the bacterial nucleoplasm and cytoplasm were sites of phage accumulation. Bacterial forms resembling the ghosts that result from lysis of Escherichia coll by coliphageT2 were also observed. This, together with the presence of free phages in the horny layer, indicates that ejection of virus particles may occur in the skin.