INTERACTION BETWEEN TRANSPOSABLE PHAGES O F PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA - GENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE ABILITY OF PROPHAGE-D3112 TO INHIBIT GROWTH OFPHAGE-B39

A novel, previously unknown cip gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage D 3112 was discovered. The cip gene is responsible for inhibiting the in tracellular growth of the related heteroimmune phage B39 of P. aerugin osa. It was shown that the cip gene product inhibits replication of th e B39 genome, interacting, apparently, with the definite s(+) site in the phage B39 genome. Mutants cip(-) of phage D3112, incapable of inhi biting the growth of phage B39, and B39 mutants, insensitive to the ac tion of the cip gene product of phage D3112, were isolated.