Use of lambda vehicles to isolate ompC-lacZ gene fusions in Salmonella typhimurium LT2.

A novel plasmid vector, pAMH70 carrying both the lamB and nusA genes of Escherichia coli K12 was constructed. Introduction of this plasmid into Salmonella typhimurium LT2 renders this bacterium both sensitive to lambda adsorption and able to sustain growth and lysogenization by lambda. Using this strain as a recipient, stable gene fusions to the gene encoding a major outer membrane porin protein OmpC, were constructed with a lambda vehicle lambda placMu. To confirm the actual site of fusions they were genetically mapped and transducing phages carrying the ompC-lacZ fusion were isolated and relysogenized. The fusions were also shown to be to ompC by their regulatory properties.