Leakiness of pleiotropic maltose-negative, bacteriophage lambda-resistant mutants of Escherichi coli K-12.

Cultures of Escherichia coli K-12 malA(-)lambda(r)gal(-) can be transduced to gal(+) by bacteriophage lambdadg because of leakiness of the lambda(r) phenotype. The efficiency of such transduction is about 10(-5) that of transduction of mal(+)lambda(s) bacteria. Leaky cells (lambda(s)phenocopies) adsorb only very few phage particles, and many transductants, therefore, are defective heterogenotes or show integration of the gal(+) gene, which is unaccompanied by lysogenization.