Isolation of a rapidly-sedimenting canavanyl-protein-DNA-membrane complex from Escherichia coli.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D L Anderson.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The structure of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi25 and phi25 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were studied by electron microscopy. The head of phi25 is a regular polyhedron measuring 75 nm in diameter. The uncontracted tail of phi25 is 130 nm in length and includes a large, complex tail plate. Phage phi25 DNA is double-stranded and has a molecular weight of approximately 100 million as determined by electron microscopic length measurements and analytical band sedimentation in CsCl. The complementary strands of phi25 DNA contain numerous random interruptions. Chemical analysis of phi25 DNA demonstrated that 5-hydroxymethyluracil replaces thymine and that the DNA has a mole per cent (guanine plus cytosine) of 42.
The morphology of the intracellular development of bacteriophage phi25 in Bacillus subtilis 168M has been correlated with nucleic acid synthesis in infected cells. Host deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis was shut off by a phage-induced enzyme within 5 min after infection, and another phage-mediated function extensively degraded host DNA at the time of cell lysis. Synthesis of phage DNA in infected cells began within 5 min and continued until late in the rise period. After phage DNA synthesis and coinciding with lysis, much of the unpackaged, newly synthesized phage DNA was degraded. Studies of thin sections of phi25 infected cells suggested that unfilled capsids may be precursors to filled capsids in the packaging process. To assess dependence of capsid formation on phage DNA replication, cells were either treated with mitomycin C and infected with normal phage or infected with ultraviolet-irradiated (99% killed) phi25. Only empty capsids were found in these cells, indicating that capsid production may be independent of the presence of newly synthesized viral DNA.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in bacteriophage phi29-infected Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was studied at 37 and 45 C. Infectious intracellular particles appear at the same time at both temperatures, but the average burst size is reduced 45 to 50% at 45 C. There is a transient inhibition of cellular mass increase at 45 C which is not observed at the lower temperature. In addition, the rate of host DNA synthesis is reduced and the onset of viral-specific DNA replication is delayed for 6 to 9 min at 45 C. These findings allowed us to screen phage phi29 mutants which are sensitive to growth at 45 C for their ability to synthesize phi29 DNA in the absence of host DNA replication. We obtained mutants which make no viral DNA, reduced levels of DNA, or normal quantities of DNA under nonpermissive conditions. Pulse-labeled viral DNA which sediments more rapidly than mature phi29 DNA molecules was observed after gentle cell lysis and zone sedimentation. This DNA is not a precursor of normally sedimenting phi29 DNA and apparently consists of mature phi29 DNA molecules aggregated with large pieces of bacterial DNA.
Bacillus subtilis phage phi29 has a nonpermuted, duplex deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with cohesive ends and a molecular weight of 11 x 10(6). Denaturation of this DNA yielded two intact polynucleotide chains. Preferential binding of the polyribonucleotide polyuridylic-guanylic acid (poly UG) to the complementary strands of denatured phi29 DNA permitted separation of the strands in neutral CsCl gradients. In analytical CsCl density gradient centrifugation, the separated strands with poly UG appeared as two symmetrical bands, both heavier than the normal denatured DNA band. The strands differed in density by 11 mg/cc. Preparative separation of the phi29 DNA strands resulted in two fractions, heavy (H) and light (L). The H fraction was essentially free from L contamination, whereas L contained up to 25% of H, as determined both by rebanding the separated fractions in CsCl and by electron microscopic examination of self- and mixed-annealed fractions. Pulse-labeled ribonucleic acid (RNA) prepared at intervals after infection was hybridized with the self-annealed DNA strands. Preliminary experiments indicated that both strands of phi29 DNA are transcribed during the development of the virus. Early transcribed phi29-specific RNA hybridizes only with the L strand; at later times, transcription occurs from both the L and H strands.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Sequential disruption of the sheath of avirulent leptospires of the serotype canicola with antibody and complement was monitored by electron microscopy. Loosening and separation of the sheath from the protoplasmic cylinder was observed as early as 2 min after exposure to complement. Virulent leptospires of this serotype were morphologically intact after 1 hr of exposure to antibody and complement. Similarly, treatment of leptospires of the serotype patoc with normal serum and complement severely damaged the sheath structure. Removal of the sheath of both serotypes permitted lysozyme to act on the wall of the protoplasmic cylinder. Thus, morphological evidence for the location of the mucopeptide-containing structure of these leptospires was obtained. Viable leptospires with intact sheaths were resistant to lysozyme alone. Sections and negatively stained preparations of sheaths of serotypes canicola and patoc revealed three dense layers with two intermediate light zones and an overall thickness of about 110 A. A periodicity of 40 A was observed in sheath fragments produced by complement. The 70 A wallmembrane complex of leptospires of both serotypes consisted of two dense layers with an intermediate light zone. Structures apparent after removal of the outer sheath included membranous bodies or mesosomes, axial filaments attached to terminal knobs at opposite ends of the cell, and electron-dense intracellular bodies.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules having a mean length of 5.8 mum were released from purified Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi29 with 2 m sodium perchlorate. Small 0.1 to 0.2-mum molecules were also detected in these DNA preparations. Since intact single chains annealed to form linear duplex molecules, phage phi29 DNA was found to be nonpermuted. The molecular weights of single chains of phi29 DNA were approximately half that of native DNA, as determined by analytical band sedimentation in CsCl, indicating that phi29 DNA is composed of two continuous polynucleotide chains. The molecular weight values of native and annealed phi29 DNA from sedimentation agreed with the molecular weight values obtained from electron microscopy. The infectivity of phi29 DNA was reduced to a low level by alkaline denaturation and was partially restored by annealing.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.