[Induced and spontaneous mutagenesis in phage T4 in Escherichia coli strains with mutant RNA polymerase].

Study was made of the frequency of induced and spontaneous mutations in phage T4 in RNA polymerase Escherichia coli strains. It has been shown that the rate of induced mutagenesis by base analogues increases in two rUV-mutants of phage T4 carrying mutations of the transition type, unlike the frameshift mutant which does not revert under these conditions. An increase in the level of spontaneous mutations in the phage is also found when RNA polymerase mutations are introduced into the system. The influence of mutant RNA polymerase on the mutation process is specific as no alteration of the recombination process in phage T4 has been found in E. coli strains with mutant RNA polymerase.