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Specificity in Deoxyribonucleic Acid Uptake by Transformable Haemophilus influenzae

^a Department of Biochemistry, The Johns Hopkins, University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, and Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ABSTRACT

Cells of Haemophilus influenzae strain Rd competent for genetic transformation irreversibly bound approximately five molecular fragments of H. influenzae deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) per cell; under identical conditions, DNA derived from Escherichia coli B was not taken up (<1 molecule per 50 cells). Similarly, DNA from Xenopus laevis was not taken up by competent H. influenzae. Of the heterologous DNAs tested, only DNA from H. parainfluenzae interfered with the uptake of H. influenzae DNA, as judged by competition experiments employing either DNA binding or genetic transformation as the test system. The extracellular heterologous DNA did not suffer either single- or double-strand breakage upon exposure to competent H. influenzae.

¹ Present address: Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Mich. 48201.

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