Characterization of the cloned fip gene and its product.

A DNA fragment encoding the fip (filamentous phage production) gene from Escherichia coli, when cloned in a filamentous phage vector, restored to the phage ability to assemble progeny in fip mutant hosts. The fip gene was located just upstream of and transcribed in the same direction as the rho gene. Minicells containing fip+ phage or plasmids synthesized a 12,500-dalton protein that was missing or truncated when the Fip+ phenotype was inactivated by insertion of Tn5. The fip protein was cytoplasmic and was partially purified.