Transduction of various R factors by phage P1 in Escherichia coli and by phage P22 in Salmonella typhimurium.

R factors fi(+) and fi(-), with various combinations of drug-resistance markers and isolated from independent sources, were transduced by phage P1kc in Escherichia coli and by phage P22 in Salmonella typhimurium. Usually the entire R factor was transduced by P1kc in E. coli, as indicated by the absence of segregation of the drug-resistance markers from their conjugal transferability. In contrast, the patterns of segregation of the drug-resistance markers and their conjugal transferability differed considerably among various R factors after transduction by P22 in S. typhimurium. Transduction frequencies varied among R factors in both transduction systems.