Factors affecting the kinetics of progeny formation with F′lac in Escherichia coli K12

In matings of F′lac donors with an excess of recipient cells, different donor cells mated at different times. The concentration dependence of mating is incompatible with bimolecular reaction kinetics. In exponentially growing cultures, F′lac transfer from each donor cell continues to occur about once per generation. The establishment of F′lac in some recipient cells may take more than five generations.