Inactivation by avidin of biotin-modified bacteriophage.

Abstract Biotin was covalently attached to bacteriophage T4 by using biotinyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester. The chemically modified bacteriophage preparation (T4-BIO) was prevented from forming plaques by avidin. Free biotin inhibited the avidin inactivation of T4-BIO. These findings extend the use of the technique of inactivation of chemically modified bacteriophage to the assay of a non-antibody protein and its binding ligand.