Use of Bacteriophage λ Recombination Functions To Promote Gene Replacement in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Replacement of Escherichia coli’s RecBCD function with phage λ’s Red function generates a strain whose chromosome recombines with short linear DNA fragments at a greatly elevated rate. The rate is at least 70-fold higher than that exhibited by arecBC sbcBC or recD strain. The value of the system is highlighted by gene replacement with a PCR-generated DNA fragment. The ΔrecBCD::Plac-red kanreplacement allele can be P1 transduced to other E. colistrains, making the hyper-Rec phenotype easily transferable.

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