Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1979 Apr;138(1):80–86. doi: 10.1128/jb.138.1.80-86.1979

Donor deoxyribonucleic acid length and marker effect in pneumococcal transformation.

J C Lefevre, J P Claverys, A M Sicard
PMCID: PMC218240  PMID: 35523

Abstract

The efficiency of transformation of point mutations depends upon base pair mismatches during the recombination process. For low-efficiency markers, the genetic information carried on the donor deoxyribonucleic acid is preferentially lost. To understand this elimination process, we investigated the effect of the size of donor deoxyribonucleic acid on the relative efficiency of low-efficiency point mutations. The deoxyribonucleic acid was shortened either by mechanical shearing or by restriction enzyme treatments. The results indicate that transformation by low-efficiency markers was not affected by shortening the distance between them and the end of the molecule any more than was transformation by the other markers. Moreover, no lethal event could be detected for either cell or chromosomal marker survival. These data do not exclude the double-strand-break hypothesis that was proposed to explain the loss of genetic information for low-efficiency markers, but they offer no support for it.

Full text

PDF
80

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BALASSA G. [Effect of mitomycin C on the transformation of Pneumococcus]. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1962 May;102:547–555. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cato A., Jr, Guild W. R. Transformation and DNA size. I. Activity of fragments of defined size and a fit to a random double cross-over model. J Mol Biol. 1968 Oct 14;37(1):157–178. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90080-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ephrussi-Taylor H., Gray T. C. Genetic studies of recombining DNA in pneumococcal transformation. J Gen Physiol. 1966 Jul;49(6):211–231. doi: 10.1085/jgp.49.6.211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ephrussi-Taylor H., Sicard A. M., Kamen R. Genetic Recombination in DNA-Induced Transformation of Pneumococcus. I. the Problem of Relative Efficiency of Transforming Factors. Genetics. 1965 Mar;51(3):455–475. doi: 10.1093/genetics/51.3.455. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fritsch A. Properties of various rotors used for zone centrifugation. Anal Biochem. 1973 Sep;55(1):57–71. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(73)90290-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guild W. R., Shoemaker N. B. Intracellular competition for a mismatch recogition system and marker-specific rescue of transforming DNA from inactivation by ultraviolet irradiation. Mol Gen Genet. 1974;128(4):291–300. doi: 10.1007/BF00268517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Guild W. R., Shoemaker N. B. Mismatch correction in pneumococcal transformation: donor length and hex-dependent marker efficiency. J Bacteriol. 1976 Jan;125(1):125–135. doi: 10.1128/jb.125.1.125-135.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harris-Warrick R. M., Elkana Y., Ehrlich S. D., Lederberg J. Electrophoretic separation of Bacillus subtilis genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Jun;72(6):2207–2211. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.6.2207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lacks S. Integration efficiency and genetic recombination in pneumococcal transformation. Genetics. 1966 Jan;53(1):207–235. doi: 10.1093/genetics/53.1.207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lacks S. Mutants of Diplococcus pneumoniae that lack deoxyribonucleases and other activities possibly pertinent to genetic transformation. J Bacteriol. 1970 Feb;101(2):373–383. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.2.373-383.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Louarn J. M., Sicard A. M. Identical initial steps during transformation for high and low efficiency markers in Diplococcus pneumoniae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1968 Aug 13;32(3):461–466. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(68)90684-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Louarn J. M., Sicard A. M. Identical transformability of both strands of recipient DNA in Diplococcus pneumoniae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1969 Jul 7;36(1):101–109. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(69)90655-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Morrison D. A., Guild W. R. Breakage prior to entry of donor DNA in Pneumococcus transformation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Apr 11;299(4):545–556. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(73)90226-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Morrison D. A., Guild W. R. Transformation and deoxyribonucleic acid size: extent of degradation on entry varies with size of donor. J Bacteriol. 1972 Dec;112(3):1157–1168. doi: 10.1128/jb.112.3.1157-1168.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Morrison D. A. Transformation in pneumococcus: existence and properties of a complex involving donor deoxyribonucleate single strands in eclipse. J Bacteriol. 1977 Nov;132(2):576–583. doi: 10.1128/jb.132.2.576-583.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. OTTOLENGHI E., HOTCHKISS R. D. Release of genetic transforming agent from pneumococcal cultures during growth and disintegration. J Exp Med. 1962 Oct 1;116:491–519. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.4.491. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roger M. Mismatch excision and possible polarity effects result in preferred deoxyribonucleic acid strand of integration in pneumococcal transformation. J Bacteriol. 1977 Jan;129(1):298–304. doi: 10.1128/jb.129.1.298-304.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. SICARD A. M. A NEW SYNTHETIC MEDIUM FOR DIPLOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE, AND ITS USE FOR THE STUDY OF RECIPROCAL TRANSFORMATIONS AT THE AMIA LOCUS. Genetics. 1964 Jul;50:31–44. doi: 10.1093/genetics/50.1.31. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. STUDIER F. W. SEDIMENTATION STUDIES OF THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF DNA. J Mol Biol. 1965 Feb;11:373–390. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(65)80064-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Shoemaker N. B., Guild W. R. Destruction of low efficiency markers is a slow process occurring at a heteroduplex stage of transformation. Mol Gen Genet. 1974;128(4):283–290. doi: 10.1007/BF00268516. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sicard A. M., Ephrussi-Taylor H. Recombinaison génétique dans la transformation chez le pneumocoque. Etude des réversions au locus amiA. C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1966 May 23;262(21):2305–2308. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tiraby G., Fox M. S., Bernheimer H. Marker discrimination in deoxyribonucleic acid-mediated transformation of various Pneumococcus strains. J Bacteriol. 1975 Feb;121(2):608–618. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.2.608-618.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tiraby G., Sicard M. A. Integration efficiencies of spontaneous mutant alleles of amiA locus in pneumococcal transformation. J Bacteriol. 1973 Dec;116(3):1130–1135. doi: 10.1128/jb.116.3.1130-1135.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tiraby G., Sicard M. A. Integration efficiency in DNA-induced transformation of Pneumococcus. II. Genetic studies of mutant integrating all the markers with a high efficiency. Genetics. 1973 Sep;75(1):35–48. doi: 10.1093/genetics/75.1.35. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Tiraby J. G., Fox M. S. Marker discrimination in transformation and mutation of pneumococcus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Dec;70(12):3541–3545. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.12.3541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wagner R., Jr, Meselson M. Repair tracts in mismatched DNA heteroduplexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Nov;73(11):4135–4139. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.4135. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES