Phage genetic sites involved in lambda growth inhibition by the Escherichia coli rap mutant.

The rap mutation of Escherichia coli prevents the growth of bacteriophage lambda. We have isolated phage mutants that compensate for the host deficiency. The mutations, named bar, were genetically located to three different loci of the lambda genome: barI in the attP site, barII in the cIII ea10 region, and barIII within or very near the imm434 region. The level of lambda leftward transcription correlates with rap exclusion. Phage lambda mutants partially defective in the pL promoter or in pL-transcript antitermination showed a Bar- phenotype. Conversely, mutants constitutive for transcription from the pI or pL promoters were excluded more stringently by rap bacteria. We conclude that rap exclusion depends on the magnitude of transcription through the wild type bar loci in the phage genome.