Method for isolating restriction- and modificationless mutants of Escherichia coli K-12.

A simple method is described for the selection and isolation of restriction- and modificationless mutants in Escherichia coli K-12 by using the following properties: (i) the temperature-sensitive repressor activity of phage lambdacI857; (ii) a mutant of lambda phage defective in integration and the establishment of repression (lambdab2cI); (iii) a virulent lambda phage insensitive to the repressor activity. The final yield of spontaneously arising rk-mk+ and rk-mk- mutants from stationary-phase cultures was about 5% of the surviving cells.