Mechanics of Frameshift Mutagenesis in Bacteriophage T4: Role of Chromosome Tips

In contrast to observations in bacteria and fungi, frameshift mutations in bacteriophage T4 do not arise during genetic recombination. Nascent mutants, captured in the heterozygous condition, exhibit properties which indicate that the new lesions are located at the extreme tips of the chromosomes, and are segregated by a combination of recombination and replication.