Synthesis of small polynucleotide chains in thymine-depleted bacteria |
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Authors: | Adriana T Diaz Doris Wiener Rudolf Werner |
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Institution: | Department of Biochemistry University of Miami School of Medicine P.O. Box 520875, Miami, Fla 33152, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Bacteria that are depleted of intracellular thymidine nucleotide pools incorporate 3H]thymine at full specific activity, allowing the detection of early intermediates in DNA replication. A short pulse of 3H]thymine is incorporated almost exclusively into very small DNA chains which, during further incorporation of thymine, are converted into larger chains and high molecular weight DNA. The synthesis of these small DNA chains depends on the products of dna genes B, E and G. Analysis of the DNA by gel filtration on Sepharose 2B revealed an abundance of extremely short DNA chains while the frequency of larger chains decreased exponentially with increasing size. This size distribution of small DNA chains suggests a mechanism of DNA replication in which larger chains (Okazaki pieces, Okazaki et al., 1968a) arise through joining of extremely short polynucleotide chains in a process resembling crystallization rather than unidirectional chain elongation. |
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