FIG 5 .

Phage SUSP2 promotes the acquisition of kanamycin resistance by Bacillus strain WY10 when cocultured with kanamycin-resistant E. coli. A total of 10⁸ WY10 cells and 10⁸ E. coli MG1655 cells bearing kanamycin resistance plasmid pπγ were cocultured with 10⁷ SUSP2 phage (circles), 10⁷ T4 phage (squares), or no added phage (triangles). Wild-type WY10 is sensitive to kanamycin and has a non-E. coli colony morphotype. Data represent the number of kanamycin-resistant WY10 cells following overnight coculture. No kanamycin-resistant Bacillus cells were detected upon coculture with wild-type (plasmid-free) E. coli MG1655. Horizontal lines within each cluster of data points represent the mean values of five independent biological replicates. Two asterisks denote statistical significance at a standard of P < 0.01 (Mann-Whitney U test).