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Coping with inadvertent lysis of Escherichia coli cultures: Strains resistant to lysogeny and infection by the stealthy lysogenic phage Φ80
Author(s) -
Srinivas Swaminath,
Cronan John E
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.26971
Subject(s) - lysogenic cycle , lysogen , escherichia coli , bacteriophage , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , phage typing , lytic cycle , lysis , virology , mutant , gene , virus , genetics , serotype
Phage Φ80 can infect Escherichia coli in a stealthy manner and persist by forming lysogens. Such Φ80 lysogens are fairly common and often go undetected unless the host is grown at temperatures below 37°C. Since low growth temperatures are required for growing temperature‐sensitive mutants and often preferred for large‐scale applications such as protein production, Φ80‐resistant strains would be useful. We report the construction of E. coli strains that cannot be efficiently lysogenized or infected by bacteriophage Φ80. These strains contain combinations of deletions or mutations in the bacterial attachment site for Φ80 integration and/or deletions in the genes required for phage absorption to the host outer membrane. These strains should help contain and prevent Φ80 infection of E. coli cultures in a laboratory or industrial setting.