Host specificity of DNA produced by Escherichia coli: II. Control over acceptance of DNA from infecting phage λ

doi:10.1016/S0022-2836(62)80059-X

Journal of Molecular Biology

Volume 5, Issue 1, July 1962, Pages 37-49

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-2836(62)80059-X Get rights and content

DNA of λ·K (λ phage grown on E. coli strain K12) is shown to be degraded upon infection of the new host strains E. coli K12(P1) or E. coli B. This breakdown begins shortly after phage attachment and successful DNA injection. ³²P label from the λ·K DNA submitted to this degradation appears partly in acid-soluble components (organic and inorganic) and partly in acid-insoluble compounds. The host cell survives such an infection and permits diffusion of a fraction of the degradation products into the medium, while probably re-using another fraction.

Genetic markers from λ·K are rescued in K12(P1) host cells infected with both restricted λ·K and unrestricted λ·K(Pl). Since DNA breakdown competes in time with the rescue, the probability of marker rescue is high if the unrestricted phage infects first and low if the restricted phage infects first. Only closely linked markers have a good chance to be rescued together.

The host specificity imparted to phage DNA by the bacterial strain on which it was produced is thought to be responsible for its recognition as incompatible with a new host strain. Bacterial mutants are described which, despite the presence of prophage P1, accept infecting λ·K at relatively high rates.

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^*: The work was supported by a grant from the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research.

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Journal of Molecular Biology

Host specificity of DNA produced by Escherichia coli: II. Control over acceptance of DNA from infecting phage λ*

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