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Some Unique Properties of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Bearing Portion of the Bacterial Membrane

^a Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, and Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3QU, England

ABSTRACT

By using the M-band technique we have shown that portions of the membranes of Bacillus megaterium and Escherichia coli vary in their affinity for magnesium-Sarkosyl crystals and in phospholipid composition. The portion to which deoxyribonucleic acid is attached comprises as little as 4% of the total cell membrane, has a particularly high degree of affinity for magnesium-Sarkosyl crystals, and is rich in phosphatidylethanolamine. The M-band fractionation does not depend on the use of lysozyme.

¹ Present address: Instituto de Biologia Cellular, Velazques 144, Madrid 6, Spain.

² Present address: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.

³ Present address: John Innes Institute, Colney Lane, Norwich, NOR 70F, England.

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