Bacteriophage N3 of Haemophilus influenzae. I. Independence of vegetative recombination among Haemophilus influenzae bacteriophage on the host cell.

Vegtative recombination of temperature-sensitive mutants of Haemophilus influezae bacteriophage N3 was measured in wild-type H. influenzae strain Rd9 and in recombination-defective mutants of the Rd strain. Recombinants are formed with low but equal frequency in wild-type cells and recombination-defective mutants of the Rd strain. It is concluded that this phage can carry information in its own genome for vegetative recombination. Lysogenization readily takes place in both strains.