Cloning of the lambda resistant genes from Brevibacterium albidum and Proteus vulgaris into Escherichia coli.

Genes from Proteus vulgaris ATCC13315 and Brevibacterium albidum ATCC15831 were introduced into Escherichia coli, which rendered the host resistant to coliphage lambda. The clones transformed by any one of the two recombinant plasmids, pRMG101 or pRMG216, were totally resistant against the infection of virulent lambda and N4, but sensitive to ø80, T4 and T7. However, when maltose transport systems of the clones were induced by maltose, the clones were no more resistant to the phage: thus, this phenotype was thought to be due to the inhibition of phage adsorption onto the cell surface. The gene product was shown by SDS-PAGE of membrane protein-enriched extract of the clone. Molecular weight as measured was about 40,000 dalton, which coincide with that inferred from the nucleotide sequences.