Increase in transduction efficiency of Tn551 mediated by the methicillin resistance marker

The transduction efficiency of Tn551, a staphylococcal transposon coding for erythromycin resistance (ermB), was increased by a factor of about five in acceptor strains carrying the gene for methicillin resistance (mec), as compared with methicillin-sensitive strains. This enhancement was independent of the generalized transducing phage used and of the chromosomal insertion site of the Tn551 transposon.