GENERALIZED TRANSDUCTION IN BACILLUS-THURINGIENSIS VAR AIZAWAI

Four temperate phages, OHD67, OHD130, OHD228 and OHD248, which were isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis H-serotype 7 strains, were tested for their ability to mediate transduction within H-serotype 7 and also between H-serotype 7 and 3a3b. The optimum conditions to facilitate transduction were determined. The four phages successfully mediated transduction within serotype 7 of all five auxotrophic markers tested and thus seem to have the ability to mediate generalized transduction. The phages also mediated transduction between H-serotype 7 and H-serotype 3a3b of 10 of 11 auxotrophic markers tested.