Miniphage-a class of satellite phage to M13.

Satellite or defective bacteriophage particles can appear in extensively recycled stocks of coliphage M13. These particles, herein known as miniphage, replicate using the wild type bacteriophage as a helper. Their physical properties (u.v. spectra, sedimentation of DNA and bacterophage, electrophoretic moblitiy) are described and a method for the isolation of specific satellite bacteriophage is presented.