The site-specific recombination locus of mycobacteriophage Ms6 determines DNA integration at the tRNA(super Ala) gene of Mycobacterium spp

A study was undertaken to examine the site-specific integration of the mycobacteriophage Ms6 and show that this system can conduct the insertion of heterologous DNA into the tRNA(super Ala) gene of the Mycobacterium smegmatis. The phage attachment site was localized on the Ms6 genome by comparing the Southern blots of lysogenic genomic DNAs and the DNA derived from mycobacteriophage. Results revealed that the site-specific recombination between the phage DNA and the bacterial genome was at the 26 bp common core site found at the 3' end of the tRNA(super Ala) gene.