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Membrane Association of Conjugally Transferred Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Escherichia coli Minicells

Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
Institute of Radiation Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37901
Department of Biology, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613

ABSTRACT

The conjugally acquired deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of small, anucleate cells ("minicells") of a mutant strain of Escherichia coli K-12 was found to be predominantly associated with the bacterial membrane. Evidence from X-irradiation studies in vivo shows that there is no decrease in DNA-membrane association under conditions which reduce the DNA to one-sixth its original size and suggests the possibility of multiple DNA-membrane association sites. Preliminary enzymatic studies indicate the involvement of protein, DNA, and lipids in the membrane association of the DNA.

¹ Present address: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101.