Growth of bacteriophages MS2 and T7 on streptomycin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli

Abstract

Streptomycin-resistant mutants of an Hfr strain of Escherichia coli K were examined for their ability to support the growth of male-specific ribonucleic acid phage MS2 and female-specific deoxyribonucleic acid phage T7. Normally, the Hfr strain allows propagation of MS2 and is lysed by it (efficiency of plating equal to 1), whereas the same strain restricts propagation of T7 and is not lysed by it (efficiency of plating smaller than 10-7). Twenty-four isolates out of 26 independently obtained streptomycin-resistant mutants are partially or completely derestricted for propagation of T7; efficiency of plating of T7 in such strains ranges from 10-3-1. Depending on their response to plating of MS2 and T7, the streptomycin-resistant mutants can be divided into four classes. The mutants in all four classes continue to be "male" in conjugation with F- strains. Genetic analysis is presented to show that restriction of MS2, derestriction of T7, and resistance to streptomycin are the pleiotropic effects of a single mutation at the strA locus.