CORRELATION BETWEEN MAP POSITION AND PHENOTYPE OF CTI MUTANTS IN THE C CISTRON OF RHIZOBIUM MELILOTI PHAGE 16—3

Nine temperature-sensitive clear mutations (Cti) in the C cistron (coding for the repressor protein) of Rhizobium meliloti temperate phage 16—3 were characterized according to the inductive temperature, the immunity of cells lysogenic for these mutant phages to superinfection by homoimmune weak virulent mutants, the phenotype of double-ti mutants and interallelic complementation. The results indicate that mutations of similar phenotypic expression are clustered on the genetic map. Furthermore, it seems probable that the C cistron of the original phage 16—3 is identical to that of the independently isolated phage strain 36.