Bxz1, a new generalized transducing phage for mycobacteria

We have isolated and characterized a new generalized transducing phage, Bxz1, from soil sampling at a neighboring Wildlife Preservation Park. The hosts of the phage, measured by the formation of plaques, include fast growing Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium vaccae. Bxz1 is capable of transducing chromosomal markers, point mutations, and plasmids at frequencies ranging from 10 ^-8 to 10 ^-6 per plaque forming unit between strains of M. smegmatis. We also demonstrated cotransduction of a transposon insertion linked to a point mutation of the ndh gene.