The replication of bacteriophage MS2: III. Asymmetric complementation between temperature-sensitive mutants*

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The isolation and properties of a set of seven temperature-sensitive mutants of the RNA bacteriophage, MS2, are described. Temperature-shift experiments and assays of the production of infective RNA at the high temperature suggest that some of these mutants are blocked at an early stage of infection, while others are defective at a near-terminal step.

Complementation of function is observed to yield an increased burst size in cells mixedly infected with two types of temperature mutants. In one combination which was analysed in detail, the complementation was asymmetric, resulting in enhanced synthesis of infective RNA and mature phage of only one type.

An improved procedure for the assay of infective RNA is described.

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*

This research was supported, in part, by a research grant RG6965 from the United States Public Health Service.

Present address: Department of Genetics, Cologne University, Cologne, Germany.

Present address: Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A.

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