Role for the female in bacterial conjugation in Escherichia coli

Hfr and F' Lac male strains of Escherichia coli were mated with purine-requiring females which had been starved for purine. These females formed mating pairs with the males. However, a mating in the absence of purine markedly reduced the yield of recombinants. Transfer of F' Lac or of lambda prophage also occurred infrequently. It was concluded that deoxyribonucleic acid transfer from male to female requires some, as yet unknown, function of the female.