Genetic analysis of the erf region of the bacteriophage P22 chromosome.

Derivatives of P22 with deletions of DNA sequences around and including the erf gene were obtained by crossing phages with plasmids containing fragments of the P22 chromosome. In some cases, the parent phages carried a large insertion in sequences not borne by the plasmids. In these cases, deletion of DNA from the phage chromosome to restore terminal repetition (a selectable trait) could be accomplished by recombination between phage and plasmid DNA in chosen sequences flanking the insertion on both sides and borne by the plasmid. In other cases, the parent phages had deletions of a selectable gene, which could be acquired from the plasmid parents only by acquisition of an overlapping deletion. Deletion-bearing P22 strains were tested for growth and homologous genetic recombination in wild-type, recA-, and rec(B or C)- hosts. This analysis indicated the existence of a gene, mapping to the left of erf, that is helpful (but not completely essential) for growth of P22 in a wild-type host. Because P22 lacking this gene grows as well as wild-type P22 on a recBC- host, it has been designated abc (anti-recBC). The abc gene does not appear to be essential for homologous genetic recombination in any host. A plasmid bearing a 1900 base pair fragment of P22 DNA, that expresses erf and abc under the control of the E. coli lac promoter, was constructed. It supports growth and recombination in a recA- host by a phage that lacks all of the genes known to lie between 24 and 9.