Ionizing Particle Evidence for the Molecular Weight of the Pneumococcus Transforming Principle

Chromatography of transforming deoxyribonucleic acid on methylated albumin and by gel filtration

1. Native DNA from two strains of Bacillus subtilis was chromatographed by stepwise elution from MAK (methylated albumin on kieselguhr). 2. Transforming activity was confined to two out of the three main fractions, activity being distributed between the two peaks differently for DNA from the different strains. 3. Fractionation of DNA from both strains on 2% agarose gel gave two components. Approx. 75% of the material was eluted within the void volume of the column. Approx. 25% of the material consisted of degradation products of lower molecular weight. 4. Chromatography on MAK of the material of high molecular weight eluted from agarose gel gave a number of peaks differing in molecular weight, indicating that degradation of the DNA takes place during chromatography on MAK. 5. The distribution of transforming activity among the fractions from MAK suggests that degradation occurs preferentially in certain regions of the DNA.

Fractionation of native and denatured transforming deoxyribonucleic acid from Bacillus subtilis

1. Native DNA from Bacillus subtilis was fractionated by stepwise elution from methylated albumin, the transforming activity being confined to two out of four fractions. Partial separation of DNA active in transformation for the arginine marker from that showing activity for the histidine and tryptophan markers was achieved. 2. Partial denaturation of DNA at 90 degrees and 93.5 degrees resulted in the preferential destruction of transforming activity for the histidine and tryptophan markers. 3. Denaturation of DNA at 100 degrees followed by chromatography on methylated albumin yielded five fractions, two of which exhibited residual activity. Redenaturation at 100 degrees resulted in the interconversion of four out of the five fractions. Redenaturation of fractions labelled with (15)N and (2)H suggested the presence of a specific component that did not readily take part in the interconversions.

Studies on the chemistry of the transforming activity. I. Resistance to physical and chemical agents

The transforming principles of Hemophilus influenzae have been purified by a new method including fractional extraction. The active molecule behaves in these extractions like the bulk of the DNA preparation. The minimal amount of DNA necessary for transformation appeared to be of the same order of magnitude as the amount of DNA in a single cell. Quantitative study has been made of the resistance of transforming activity to various agents. When subjected to heat, the temperature at which the activity starts to decrease corresponds rather closely to the temperature at which the viscosity of the bulk of the DNA preparations starts to decrease. Similar correspondence was found when the transforming principle was subjected to pH changes. This is further evidence that the behavior of the active molecules is similar to the behavior of the average DNA molecule of the preparation. The activity is reduced by exposure to low ionic strength and by dehydration. Desoxyribonuclease in concentrations less than 10(-4) gamma/cc. is able to destroy the activity; a lag period during which the activity but not the viscosity decreases has been observed. NaNO(2) at pH 5.3, HCHO and 10(-5)M Fe(++) reduce or destroy the activity; the importance of intact amino groups in the DNA molecule for the activity is discussed. Several protein-denaturing, sterilizing, and mutagenic agents have been found to have no effect on the transforming activity.