The Escherichia coli GroP- phenotype, associated with some dnaB mutants and measured as a decreased ability to plate lambda bacteriophage, was altered by some rpoB mutations. The rpoB effect showed an allele specificity. The participation both of dnaB and of lambda P alleles in the GroP- phenotype was also allele specific. It was concluded that RNA polymerase, dnaB protein, and lambda P protein form a functional complex required for lambda replication.