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Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of the T4 phage rII gene were islated and used in temperature shift experiments that revelaed two different expressions for the normal rII (rII+) gene function in vivo: (i) an early expression (0 to 12 min postinfection at 30 C) that prevents restriction of T4 growth in Escherichia coli hosts lysogenic for gamma phage, and (ii) a later expression (12 to 18 min postinfection at 30 C) that results in restriction of T4 growth when the phage DNA ligase (gene 30) is missing. The earlier expression appeared to coincide with the period of synthesis of the protein product of the T4 rIIA cistron, whereas the later expression occurred after rIIA protein synthesis had stopped. The synthesis of the protein product of the rIIB cistron continues for several minutes after rIIA protein synthesis ceases (O'Farrell and Gold, 1973). The two rII+ gene expressions might require different molar ratios of the rIIA and rIIB proteins. It is possible that the separate expressions of rII+ gene function are manifestations of different associations between the two rII proteins and other T4-induced proteins that are synthesized or activated at different times after phage infection.

When bacteriophage lambda DNA replication is blocked by mutation in phage genes O or P, the efficiency of lysogenization drops to a very low value unless high multiplicities of infecting phage are used. Our results show that even at high multiplicity, lambda O or P mutants cannot efficiently lysogenize some hosts that are defective in either DNA polymerase I or DNA ligase. Covalent closure of infecting DNA molecules, a preliminary step for insertion according to Campbell's model and an obvious candidate for this lysogenization defect, appears to occur normally under our conditions. In addition, prophage excision as measured by the frequency of curing O- and P- lysogens seemed normal when tested in the poll- strain. These results suggest that the Escherichia coli enzymes DNA polymerase I and ligase, and phage proteins O and P, are able to provide some complementary activity whose function is required specifically for prophage integration.

Genetic analyses of an Escherichia coli K-12 mutant possessing the amber mutation lig-321 were carried out. This mutant is defective in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ligase and conditionally lethal. We constructed strains harboring an F'lig+ or F'lig-321 plasmid. Genetic complementation analyses were done by using these plasmids and by constructing a lig-4/F'lig-321 merodiploid. It was shown that lig-321 does not complement lig-4, unless the former is suppressed by an amber suppressor. The same was found to be the case between lig-321 and lig-ts7. Transductional mapping of lig-321, by a four-factor cross, revealed that lig-321 is very closely linked to lig-4. The frequency of recombinants between the two alleles was not unreasonable for assuming that they arose by intragenic recombination. The lig-4 and lig-ts7 alleles are known to reside in the structural gene for DNA ligase, in which lig-321 may also be located.

The activity of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, which is induced by interferon action, was detected in mouse trigeminal ganglia infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1. When HSV was inoculated on the left cheek of mice, the virus began to appear in the ipsilateral trigeminal ganglia on day 2, reached its maximum accumulation on day 4, declined thereafter, and was no longer detected in the tissue homogenate after 11 days. After this short acute productive phase, the virus entered into the latent phase of infection. 2',5'-Oligoadenylate synthetase appeard in the trigeminal ganglia shortly after the beginning of virus multiplication; the synthetase activity began to rise on day 3, reached a maxium level on day 4, and then declined. Interferon activity (type I) also appeared in the infected ganglia, but diminished more rapidly than the synthetase. The antibody against HSV in the sera began to appear at the time when the virus and synthetase were declining. From these results it may be hypothesized, although not concluded, that in the acute productive phase of HSV infection in mouse trigeminal ganglia, virus multiplication is suppressed by interferon action, including 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase induction.

Bacteriophage T7 bearing amber mutations in both gene 1.3 (T7 DNA ligase) and gene 3 (T7 endonuclease I) are viable when grown in suppressor-negative, ligase-negative hosts. This is evidenced by a high plating efficiency and a large burst size compared to the single mutants. These findings may be explained by a limited destruction of cellular DNA by the double mutant.