Node: Dienes, Louis. Microbiologist at MGH, long preoccupied with
morphological studies of "L-forms" (Large bodies?); cf also
Klieneberger-Nobel; These and their "filtrability" were all to obvious
options for a morphological correlate of sexuality, or later of the
filtrable agent (FA) in transduction that later proved to be phage.
Merry chase!; Now esp. after P-70. generally accepted as protoplasts
or spheroplasts - they are indeed fusible in eukaryotes and gram-positive
bacteria. L-forms no longer susceptible to wall-targeted antibiotics,
perhaps also complement, may play a role in cryptic infections.
Mellon had called similar things "zygospores".
oI don't know what he finally made of the wall-defect story.
KW: L-forms; Proteus; Carl Beam; chloral hydrate; swarm;
?? mechanism; cf phenol.
jl 7/5/98; 4/18/99
