S. E. Luria e R. Dulbecco, «GENETIC RECOMBINATIONS LEADING TO  PRODUCTION OF ACTIVE BACTERIOPHAGE FROM ULTRAVIOLET INACTIVATED  BACTERIOPHAGE PARTICLEY», Genetics, 34(2): 93-125, mar. 1949.

Introduction

The potentialities of bacteriophage genetics have been revealed by the discovery of genetic recombinations among related phage particles infecting the same bacterial cell (DELBRUCKan d BAILEY1 946). The complexities of these genetic systems have been further illustrated by the work of HERSHEY and ROTMAN(1 948) on a number of different genetic determinants involved in the determination of the alternative phenotypes T+ and T in phage TZH. A different approach to the genetic mechanisms of bacteriophages originated from the chance observation by DELBRUCKan d BAILEYt hat, after exposure to ultraviolet light, some phages gave variable plaque counts, depending on the relative concentrations of phage lysates and host cells at the time of assay.
In investigating this phenomenon, one of us (LURIA 1947) discovered a mechanism of phage reactivation by interaction among inactive particles in the course of intracellular growth. The detailed investigation of this phenomenon has indicated new possibilities for a quantitative analysis of the genetic structure of these viruses and has suggested a possible mechanism for their reproduction. A preliminary discussion of some of the results reported in this paper has appeared (LURIA 1947) ; their implications for a number of problems have been discussed in a forthcoming publication (LURIA 1948). The present article is intended to present the results in detail, and, by describing techniques and methods of analysis, to serve as a background for future publications on this topic. The analysis of the results presented in the following pages is based on the hypothesis that inactivation of bacteriophage particles by ultraviolet light is due to production of discrete alterations in individual portions of genetic material. Although the internal evidence in support of this hypothesis, as presented in this paper, is quite satisfactory, it must be said that satisfactory external evidence from other lines of attack is not yet available. The conclusions reached in this article must be considered for the time being as working hypotheses for further investigation.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1209443/