Abstract
SUMMARY: Meso-tartrate utilizing and resistant (mT+) recombinants were produced readily in transductions from an mT+donor strain to 42 naturally occurringmeso-tartrate non-utilizing and sensitive (mT) recipient strains ofSalmonella typhimurium, and were produced, sometimes as frequently, in interbiotype crosses between different pairs of strains from the mTbiotypes 2, 18, 26 and of the FIRN group (biotypes 30 and 32). These findings suggested that the sites of themtamutations were independent in strains from the different mTbiotypes and were in agreement with their probable different lines of descent. Intrabiotype crosses indicated genetic homogeneity among strains of biotype 26 and among strains of biotype 30; on the other hand, they suggested that in each of the biotypes 2, 18 and 32, a minority of strains hadmtamutations present at different intragenic sites from those of the majority of strains. The derivations of the strains of the minority types are discussed.