Transcription stimulates recombination. II. Generalized transduction of Escherichia coli by phages T1 and T4.

Phage Mu was inserted in the trpE gene of one donor Escherichia coli strain and in the lac promoter of another. Strains with Mu prophage mutations which permitted transcription of genes whose transcription had been polarly blocked by the Mu insertion were isolated and called "bypass" strains. The transducing phages T1am, and T1am,ST, and, in one instance, T4GT7 were grown on both the bypass and the original strains. After growth on the bypass strains transducing phages were able to transduce Trp+ and Lac+, respectively, to a variety of Trp- and Lac- strains more efficiently than after growth on nonbypass strains. These results support the idea that crossovers required for generalized transduction occur more efficiently if the specific region is transcribed by both interacting parental molecules.