Plasmid Transfer via Transduction from Streptococcus thermophilus to Lactococcus lactis

Using Streptococcus thermophilus phages, plasmid transduction in Lactococcus lactis was demonstrated. The transduction frequencies were 4 orders of magnitude lower in L. lactis than in S. thermophilus. These results are the first evidence that there is phage-mediated direct transfer of DNA from S. thermophilus to L. lactis. The implications of these results for phage evolution are discussed.