title: Transduction of concatemeric plasmids containing the cos site of Lactococcus lactis bacteriophage sk1.
abstract: Lactococcus lactis bacteriophage sk1 can transduce plasmids containing the phage cos site and surrounding DNA sequences at frequencies as high as 2x10(-3) transductants per PFU. Deletion analysis demonstrated that the presence of phage DNA spanning cos and putative R sites were the most important for efficient plasmid transduction. Inserts of 440 bp containing cos and the R sites were sufficient to induce transduction frequencies of 10(-4) transductants per PFU. The role of the R1 site was investigated by altering 14 of the 19 bases in the site. This resulted in a two-fold decrease in transduction frequency compared to a 26-fold decrease in transduction following deletion of the entire site. It was demonstrated that transducing plasmids were packaged as linear trimeric concatemers commencing at the cos site.
authors.affiliation: Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia. scott.chandry@foodscience.afisc.csiro.au
authors.forename: P Scott
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chandry
authors.forename: Sean C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Barrie E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hillier
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral