A Transducing Bacteriophage for Proteus vulgaris

Bacteriophages which transduce genetic markers in Proteus mirabilis (1, 2) P. morganii (3) and Providence (4) have been reported.

In the course of an investigation of lysogeny in local strains of Proteus vulgaris, strain 107 was found lysogenic for P. vulgaris strain 69. The phage (named 107/69) produces turbid plaques on strain 69 and its ability to transduce markers into the strain was investigated using methods previously described (1, 4). A chloroform- sterilized lysate of strain 69 str-r can transduce the marker to wild strain 69 at a rate of 3 × 10−6 plaque forming units adsorbed, and similar lysates of wild strain 69 convert auxotrophs to prototrophy at the same rates showing that the phage is capable of generalized transduction. As in transduction with other proteus phages (4) abortive transductants were not detected.