A Rapid Screening Test for Transfer Factors in Drug-sensitive Enterobacteriaceae

Abstract

IN a recent article¹ a technique was described for screening drug-sensitive strains of Enterobacteriaceae for the presence of transfer factors. This entails the incorporation of each strain under test in a mixture consisting of an intermediate recipient, containing a non-transferring resistance determinant (R-determinant)^1,2 and a final recipient which is drug-sensitive and devoid of a transfer factor. If a test strain carries a transfer factor, this migrates into the intermediate recipient and unites with the R-determinant to form an R-factor which then transfers into the final recipient.