I am looking for a coliphage that has a DNA genome that is small enough to be conveniently manipulatible AND remains linear inside the cell (instead of forming a circle like lambda does).
I was looking at T4. But it is too big for genetic manipulation.
phage M13 has 6.4 kb in its genome. It and its relatives are linear-DNA phages with ssDNA genomes and especially M13 has been widely established for cloning purposes. However, even M13 forms a circular DNA intermediate in its replicative form. Otherwise I do not know of any dsDNA phages with linear genomes in E. coli that stays linear all the time.
N15 is linear, but not that small (46.3kb). See article by NV Ravin, 2015 in Microbiolgy Spectrum.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26104561
N15 may be too big for your needs but it mentions a linear cloning system, the "pJAZZ" series by Lucigen, which is based on the N15 phage. That tool might help you do what you want.
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