λimmP22dis: A hybrid of coliphage λ with both immunity regions of Salmonella phage P22

Abstract

Genetically marked lambda and P22 phages were recombined in Escherichia coli-Salmonella typhimurium hybrid WR4028, a host sensitive to infection by both of these phages. Hybrid phages that acquired the immC region of P22, but retained the genes for the lambda protein coat were selected on WR4027 (lambda), a lambda-immune, P22-resistant derivative of WR4028. In these lambdaimmP22 hybrids, at least the c through P genes of lambda were replaced with functionally related P22 genes. Phage recombinants with more extensive regions of the P22 genome were selected on the double lysogen WR4027 (lambda, lambdaimmP22). One such hybrid, lambdaimmP22dis, was determined by heteroduplex analysis to contain approximately 40% of the P22 genome. Genetic studies established that lambdaimmP22dis possesses the two widely separated immunity control regions of P22 (immC and immI) and that these loci are expressed in E. coli K-12 lysogenic for lambdaimmP22dis. In addition, lambdaimmP22dis contains the P22 a 1 locus responsible for somatic 0--1 antigen conversion in Salmonella. Although the lambdaimmP22dis phage particle has the lambda head and tail, the phage genome also carried P22 tail gene 9 as evidenced by the production of free P22 tails. It also has the P22 att site as indicated by the integration of the lambdaimmP22dis prophage near the proA locus on the bacterial chromosome.