Construction and characterization of .PHI.105 specialized transducing phages carrying sporulation genes spoOB and spoOF of Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract
Sporulation genes spoOB and spoOF of B. subtilis were cloned in a temperate phage .vphi.105 using the prophage transformation method. The phages obtained (.vphi.105spoOB-2 and .vphi.105spoOF-1) did not form plaques, but multiplied without a helper phage when they were induced. Transduction by these phages depended on the presence of helper phage, suggesting that they were defective in lysogenization. The EcoRI cleavage maps of these phage DNA were constructed.