Isolation and mapping of Escherichia coli K12 mutants defective in Tn9 transposition.

Five mutants (called tnm) of Escherichia coli with impaired ability for transposition of Tn9 were isolated after treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG). The map locations of the tnm mutations were determined by a combination of Hfr matings, F' episome complementation and P1 transductional mapping. The data obtained show that the five tnm mutations are located near 91 min on the Escherichia coli linkage map and are cotransducible with the metA marker with a frequency of 3%-4%. Introduction of F' plasmids containing this region complements the Tnm- phenotype for the two mutants tested i.e. tnm-1 and tnm-2 are recessive in tnm+/tnm- merodiploids.