Inducible cell lysis system for the study of natural transformation and environmental fate of DNA released by cell death

Two broad-host-range cell lysis systems consisting of lysis genes S, R and Rz from bacteriophage lambda and the lysis gene E from bacteriophage PhiX174 enable the analysis of bacterial transformation and the environmental fate of cell death-generated DNA levels. Production of high levels of nucleic acids and activation of cellular autolysins accompany the induction of cell lysis by the two systems. The second cell lysis system contains a bacterial plasmid pDKLO2 that enhances the efficiency of the system for analyzing the fate of the DNA released due to cell death.