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Transfection of Bacillus subtilis with bacteriophage H1 DNA: fate of transfecting DNA and transfection enhancement in B. subtilis uvr + and uvr - strains

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Summary

H1 is a newly isolated virulent Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage. Its DNA is double-stranded, contains 5-hydroxymethyluracil instead of thymine and has a molecular weight of 83x106.

Transfection of B. subtilis with bacteriophage H1 DNA requires the cooperation of 4–5 H1 DNA molecules. Contrary to transfection enhancement effected by exposing competent cells to UV-irradiated homologous or heterologous DNA, enhancement by UV-irradiation of the competent cells requires that the cells are capable of carrying out the incision step in the excision-repair process of removal of UV-damage.

Irreversibly absorbed H1 DNA is double-stranded, has suffered endonucleolytic degradation and is subject to exonucleolytic attack. The observations that the amount of endonucleolytic damage is equal in normal and transfection enhancing conditions, and that exonucleolytic degradation is inhibited in enhancing conditions suggest that transfection enhancement is caused by protection from exonucleolytic activity, which is considered to be trapped by UV-irradiated DNA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Centre, Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Haren (Gn), The Netherlands

    F. Arwert & G. Venema

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  1. F. Arwert
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  2. G. Venema
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Communicated by W. Arber

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Arwert, F., Venema, G. Transfection of Bacillus subtilis with bacteriophage H1 DNA: fate of transfecting DNA and transfection enhancement in B. subtilis uvr + and uvr - strains. Molec. Gen. Genet. 128, 55–72 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267294

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267294

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