Transduction by bacteriophage MU-1.

Abstract

Lysates of bacteriophage Mu are capable of the general transduction of many host markers at frequencies of 10−7 to 10−8 transductants per plaque-forming phage. The transduction is due to the Mu particles in the lysate since it is eliminated by using a Mu resistant recipient strain or by treating the lysate with anti-Mu serum. The transduction frequency is constant over a wide range of phage multiplicities in both Mu sensitive and Mu lysogenic recipients, and transduction is independent of lysogenization by plaque-forming phage. Cotransduction of closely linked markers and abortive transduction have also been observed. Transduction does not occur in a recombination deficient recipient or in a recipient which has a very large deletion of the region to be transduced; thus, it appears that transducing DNA is substituted for host DNA by a host recombination system. The transducing ability cannot be propagated and is lost during one cycle of growth in the recipient. Attempts at the isolation of special transducing particles of Mu carrying leu, trp, and lac have not been successful.