Introduction of bacteriophage Mu into bacteria of various genera and intergeneric gene transfer by RP4::Mu.

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Abstract
The host range of coliphage Mu was greatly expanded to various genera of gram-negative bacteria by using the hybrid plasmid RP4::Mu cts, which is temperature sensitive and which confers resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin and tetracycline. These drug resistance genes were transferred from Escherichia coli to members of the genera Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Salmonella, Proteus, Erwinia, Serratia, Alcaligenes, Agrobacterium, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Acetobacter and Bacillus. Mu phage was produced by thermal induction from the lysogens of all these drug-resistant bacteria except Bacillus. Mu phage and RP4 or the RP4::Mu plasmid were used to create intergeneric recombinant strains by transfer of some genes, including the arylsulfatase gene, between K. aerogenes and E. coli. Genetic analysis and intergeneric gene transfer are possible in these RP4::Mu-sensitive bacteria.