Prodigiosin, a component of kappa phage receptor complex in Serratia marcescens.

Studies on kappa phage inactivation with isolated pigments from Serratia marcescens were carried out. Kappa phage is sensitive to inactivation with diethyl ether, petroleum ether, acetone and methanol, but is quite stable in chloroform and dimethyl sulphoxide. The pigment extract dissolved in chloroform inactivates about 50% of the total suspended phages. The pigment dissolved in acetone and dimethyl sulphoxide inactivates about 96.50% and 64.10% of the phages, respectively. High inactivation values with acetone were partially due to direct inactivation rather than the pigment itself.