Isolation and characterization of the specialized transducing bacteriophages phi80dargF and lambdah80cI857 dargF: specific cleavage of arginine transducing deoxyribonucleic acid by the endonucleases EcoRI and SmaR.

The directed transposition of argF to the tonB locus of the Escherichia coli chromosome and the subsequent isolation of the specialized transducing phage phi80dargF is described. The structure of this phage has been has been determined. A hybrid lambdah80cI857dargF phage has been constructed. Deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from these and their parent bacteriophages has been specifically cleaved by the endonucleases EcoRI and SmaR; the unique deoxyribonucleic acid fragments thus obtained have been resolved and analyzed by electrophoresis in agarose gel.