Fig. 5

Stability analysis of phage K8 and its derivatives. Phage K8, K8-T239A, and K8-D7 were diluted in the indicated buffers and kept at different temperatures for a period of 45 days. a, bThe indicated phages were diluted in 0.01 mol/l PBS (phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.0) and kept at 4 °C for 45 days. c, d The indicated phages were diluted in 0.01 mol/l PBS (pH 7.0) and kept at 30 °C for 45 days. e and f: The indicated phages were diluted in 0.01 mol/l Tris-HCl buffer (pH 5.8) and kept at 30 °C for 45 days. g, h The indicated phages were diluted in 0.01 mol/l PBS (pH 9.0) and kept at 30 °C for 45 days. Survived phage titers were measured (left panels) and the related survival percentages were calculated for each phage (right panels). The experiments were independently repeated three times. P: the tested phage. I: bacterial strain used as indicator. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the means of the phage titers tested at day 0 and day 45, respectively (left panels). Differences among the mean survival percentages of the groups were analyzed with one-way ANOVA followed by a Tamhane T2 test (right panels). *P < 0.05. **P < 0.01. ***P < 0.001