Nucleolytic degradation of homologous and heterologous deoxyribonucleic acid molecules at the surface of competent pneumococci. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Competent pneumococci can catalyze the rapid and quantitative degradation of extracellular deocyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules through the activity of surface-located nucleases (endo- and, possibly, exonucleases as well). Both homologous and heterologous DNAs are degraded by a mechanism that seems to involve a cyclic process: (i) attachment of DNA to the cell surface followed by (ii) nucleolytic attack, and (iii) release to the medium. Processes (ii) and (iii) are both inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Whereas surface nuclease activity is specific for competent cells, the bulk of this activity is not coupled to irreversible DNA uptake (deoxyribonuclease-resistant binding). Pneumococcal DNA treated with ultraviolet irradiation or nitrous acid (cross-linking?) is selectively impaired in the ability to irreversibly bind to competent cells, whereas reversible binding is normal.

publication date

  • May 1, 1975

Research

keywords

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA, Viral
  • Deoxyribonucleases
  • Endonucleases
  • Exonucleases
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Transformation, Genetic

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC246106

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0016749394

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1128/jb.122.2.676-685.1975

PubMed ID

  • 236283

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 122

issue

  • 2