TRANSDUCTION OF A PLASMID CARRYING THE COHESIVE END REGION FROM LACTOCOCCUS-LACTIS BACTERIOPHAGE PHI-LC3

Plasmids carrying the cohesive end region from temperate lactococcal bacteriophage phiLC3 could be packaged in vivo by phiLC3 and transduced into its host strain, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NCDO 1201. The transduction frequencies were between 10(-4) and 10(-3) transducing particles per PFU, depending on the size of the phage DNA insert. This transduction system is limited to only certain lactococcal strains. The phiLC3 cohesive site region (cos) appears to play an important role in plasmid transduction.