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. 1965 Nov;90(5):1320–1324. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.5.1320-1324.1965

Factors Regulating Competence in Transformation of Streptococci

Roman Pakula 1
PMCID: PMC315820  PMID: 5848330

Abstract

Pakula, Roman (University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Factors regulating competence in transformation of streptococci. J. Bacteriol. 90:1320–1324. 1965.—The highly transformable group H Streptococcus strain Challis produced an exocellular competence-provoking enzyme capable of converting to the state of competency incompetent cells of the homologous strain, and of the very poorly transformable strain Wicky. The competence-provoking activities of culture filtrates of strain Challis prepared at various periods of growth were tested on cells of strain Wicky. In the first 3 hr of growth, a strict correlation was found between the degree of competence and the competence-provoking activity. The period of maximal competency was followed by a rapid decline, although the competence-provoking activity of the filtrates remained at a maximum. The decay of competence was caused by a change in the structure of the cells which rendered them nonreceptive to the action of the competence-provoking enzyme.

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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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