THE ACTINOPHAGE RP3 DNA INTEGRATES SITE-SPECIFICALLY INTO THE PUTATIVE TRNA(ARG)(AGG) GENE OF STREPTOMYCES-RIMOSUS

The temperate actinophage RP3 integrates site-specifically into the ch romosome of Streptomyces rimosus R6-554. The phage attachment site att P and the hybrid attachment sites of the integrated prophage-attL and attR-were cloned and sequenced. The 54nt core sequence, common to all RP3 related attachment sites, comprises the 3' terminal end of a putat ive tRNA(Arg)(AGG) gene. AttB bears the complete tRNA gene which is re stored in attL after integration, A 7.5kb Hindlll fragment, bearing at tP was used to construct an integrative plasmid to simulate the integr ation process in vivo and to localize the phage genes necessary for si te specific integration. The int and xis genes were sequenced and comp ared to other recombination genes.