Plasmid pR386 renders Escherichia coli cells restrictive to the growth of bacteriophage T4 unf mutants.

The introduction of the F1 incompatibility group plasmid pR386 Tc into several common laboratory strains of Escherichia coli rendered them restrictive to the growth of bacteriophage T4 unf mutants, which are defective in unfolding the host genome. The growth inhibition was temperature dependent. The single mutant unf39 x 5 exhibited an efficiency of plating of less than 10(-8) at 27 degrees C. However, at 37 degrees C, complete growth inhibition occurred only when host DNA degradation was also absent.