Summary
A temperature sensitive mutant of P22 phage (ts X) was isolated and studied.
This mutant seems to have a basic regulatory function: it is defective in an early function like the typical DNA- mutant ts 12.1; it is unable to direct the phage DNA synthesis and does not lyse infected or induced cells.
Unlike ts 12.1, the mutation ts X seems to involve a gene product necessary for the expression of any vegetative function, since no phage protein synthesis, no alteration of host DNA synthesis, and no cell killing can be observed under non-permissive conditions.
The possible functional similarity between the N-cistron of the λ phage and the present X-cistron in P22 is discussed.
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References
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Communicated by G. Bertani
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Bezdek, M., Soska, J. Evidence for an early regulatory function in phage P22. Molec. Gen. Genet. 108, 243–248 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283354
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283354