Generalized transduction in the potato blackleg pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica by bacteriophage M1

Abstract

Using enrichment methods, a new bacteriophage (M1) was isolated, which is capable of generalized transduction in <i>Erwinia carotovora</i> subsp. <i>atroseptica</i> (<i>Eca</i>) strain SCRI1043. M1 is probably a virulent phage and contains double-stranded DNA of approximately 43 kb. Transduction frequencies for a number of chromosomal markers and plasmid pHCP2 were established, and conditions for transduction optimized. UV irradiation of the lysates prior to transduction enhanced the transduction frequency. M1 infected over 25% of <i>Eca</i> strains tested and so may be useful both for the genetic analysis of a number of <i>Eca</i> isolates and for the transductional transfer of selectable markers between strains.