Genetic study of a new early gene, comC-α, of bacteriophage T4

Abstract

We have previously shown that an abortive infection of bacteriophage T4 in host Escherichia coli K-12 mutants ( tabC) is overcome by a mutant having a mutation, comC-α, being mapped near gene 39. In this study, we performed a genetic analysis of a mutation of comC-α type ( comC803). Furthermore, an amber mutant, amB58 comC803, was isolated and the amB58 mutation was demonstrated to be a second-site mutation in the comC-α gene. By deletion mapping, the amB58 mutation was mapped in a region between the left ends of deletions of del(39–56)5 and of del(39–56)11. From these results, we concluded that the comC-α gene is a new early gene.