Factors Influencing Competence of Escherichia coli for Lambda-Phage Deoxyribonucleic Acid Infection

Abstract

Under certain conditions, Escherichia coli K12 cells lysogenic for λ can be made sensitive to free phage DNA without the addition of external helper phage. This competence depends on the phages released in the growth medium by spontaneous lysis. The kinetics of the decay of this competence are similar to the kinetics of cyclization of injected phage DNA.