Cloning of a restriction fragment of phage mu DNA coding for early functions.

The DNA of an E. coli K12 strain harboring ten wildtype Mu prophages was restricted with endonuclease EcoRI, and the fragments ligated into the plasmid vector pMB9. Upon transformation of a strain carrying a heat inducible (Mu cts62) prophage, one temperature-resistant transformant was isolated. This transformant strain harbors the hybrid plasmid pKN001, containing the EcoRI.C fragment of Mu DNA as shown by restriction and heteroduplex analysis. Stable transformants of pKN001 are immune to superinfection with phage Mu. Transformation of Mu sensitive bacteria with pKN001 results in killing of the recipients (10(-4) surviving bacteria). The killing function is not expressed upon transformation of Mu-immune (lysogenic) bacteria.