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B G Williams

Publications and source records attributed to B G Williams.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Construction and characterization of the hybrid bacteriophage lambda Charon vectors for DNA cloning.

Twenty hybrid lambda phages especially designed for molecular cloning have been constructed and named Charon phages. These phages differ in the ranges of sizes of DNA fragments that may be inserted, by the selections and screens which may be used to isolate and detect the incorporation of cloned fragments, by the way transcription of the cloned fragment may be controlled, by the different restriction enzymes that can be used for cloning, by the phage immunities that may be employed for controlling replication and transcription, and by the biological safety features that they contain. The crosses used to produce the vectors are described, and their genealogy is discussed. The structure of each vector has been verified by genetic tests, by DNA length determinations, by electron micrographic analysis of DNA heteroduplexes, and by gel electrophoresis of restriction enzyme digests. In the course of these constructions, a new EcoRI site was found in a derivative of lambda Aam32Bam1 which maps very near the left cohesive end of lambda.

Coliphages↗

Construction of chimeric phages and plasmids containing the origin of replication of bacteriophage lambda.

Segments of the replication control region of bacteriophage lambda (lambda) and lambda mutants defective in replication were attached in vitro to the phi80 phage vector Charon 3 and to the plasmid vector mini Col El (pVH51). The chimeric phages and plasmids have been used to localize the origin of lambda DNA replication and to facilitate a structural analysis of the lambda replicator.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Insertion of DNA carrying ribosomal protein genes of Escherichia coli into Charon vector phages.

DNA fragments from lambdaspc1 and lambdafus2, carrying ribosomal protein genes from Escherichia coli, were inserted into lambda phage vectors Charon 3 and Charon 4. Eight of the resulting clones were characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis of EcoRI digests, analytical CsCl equilibrium centrifugation, and electron micrographic analysis of heteroduplexes. In each case, the identity, order, and orientation of each cloned fragment was determined. In all, 8 of the 12 EcoRI fragments of lambdafus2 were cloned in various arrangements. In the accompanying paper, genes for 15 ribosomal and related proteins and three bacterial promoters were detected in these phages. In addition, four of the hybrid phages carried fragments of lambda-DNA including the phage origin of replication (ori), the late promoter, PR', and the cohesive ends (cos site) in both orientations. The latter phages yield a circularly permuted collection of DNA molecules.

Coliphages↗

Charon phages: safer derivatives of bacteriophage lambda for DNA cloning.

The Charon lambda bacteriophages have been developed as vectors for cloning. Their construction incorporates mutations that make them simple to use and also greatly increases their safety for the biological containment of cloned recombinant DNA. Three of the Charon vector phages, 3A, 4A, and 16A, have been certified for use as EK2 vector-host systems, when propagated in bulk in a special bacterial host, DP50SupF. We present here some of the data on which the safety of these systems was evaluated. DNA fragments ranging in size from 0 to 2.2 X 10(4) base pairs can be cloned in these EK2 Charon phages.

Chromosome Mapping↗