Five Hfr strains A through E are derived from a single F+ strain of E. coli. The following chart shows the entry times in minutes of the first five markers into an F- strain when each Hfr strain is used in an interrupted-conjugation experiment:

A

B

C

D

E

mal+

1

ade+

13

pro+

3

pro+

10

his+

7

strS

11

his+

28

met+

29

gal+

16

gal+

17

ser+

16

gal+

38

xyl+

32

his+

26

pro+

23

ade+

36

pro+

44

mal+

37

ade+

41

met+

49

his+

51

met+

70

strS

47

ser+

61

xyl+

52

  1. Draw a map of the F+ strain, indicating the positions of all the genes and their distances apart in minutes. Show the insertion point and orientation of the F plasmid in each Hfr strain on your map.
  2. When using Hfr strain A, which gene would select to obtain the highest frequency of donor alleles in the Hfr exconjugants out of the following: xyl, mal, str, his?