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. 1968 Jul;96(1):98–104. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.1.98-104.1968

Involvement of Protein and Ribonucleic Acid in the Association of Deoxyribonucleic Acid with Other Cell Components of Escherichia coli

Bruce Porter a,1, Dorothy K Fraser a
PMCID: PMC252258  PMID: 4874317

Abstract

Cells of Escherichia coli were labeled with precursors of ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and protein, lysed with detergent, and examined by starch-block electrophoresis and CsCl density gradient centrifugation. A large amount of the DNA was seen to remain at positions of low electrophoretic mobility and light density along with tryptophan and arginine-containing proteins and some RNA. Addition of labeled, phenol-extracted DNA to unlabeled cells prior to lysis and electrophoresis showed that only a small amount of the DNA became associated during or after lysis. Sonic treatment of a lysate removed most of the DNA to a position of electrophoretic mobility and density similar to that of free DNA, whereas pronase and ribonuclease released only a part of the DNA. We concluded that binding of DNA to cell membranes or other cell components occurs in the cell prior to lysis and involves protein and probably a specific type of RNA.

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Selected References

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

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