Discovery of viruses lysing blue-green algae in the Dneprovsk reservoirs. [Translation of: Water blooms (ed. A. V. Topachevskii) pp.171-174. Kiev, Naukova Dumka, 1968]

Abstract

Viruses, which are characterised by a relative simplicity of chemical composition, are involved with all the groups of the animal and plant world. The discovery of viruses of lower organisms has special interest. Along with the already known viruses lysing bacteria and actinomycetes, viruses have been discovered in recent years which lyse algae. During investigations of water from water-bloom patches and of mud taken from zones of massive accumulation of blue-green algae in the Dneprovsk reservoirs, the authors obtained viruses lysing algae. The revealing of viruses producing lysis of blue-green algae, which one could use in the control of water-blooms, has the greatest interest. With this aim, samples of water were collected from various zones of water-bloom patches in the Kremenchug, Dneprovsk and Kukhov reservoirs. For viruses lysing algae we propose the name 'algophages'. Along with the existence of viruses of algae of the phage type, one cannot deny the possibility of the existence of viruses of another type, multiplying in the cells of algae and causing their virus illnesses