This page discusses the T2 and T4 bacteriophages' role in genetic research on E. coli, highlighting Benzer's study of the rII gene, where he identified around 2000 point mutations. He determined that ...This page discusses the T2 and T4 bacteriophages' role in genetic research on E. coli, highlighting Benzer's study of the rII gene, where he identified around 2000 point mutations. He determined that the smallest mutation units are single base pairs and used deletion mutants for efficient mapping. Benzer's complementation tests revealed two complementation groups in rII, leading to the concept of cistrons as genetic functional units.
