The Kinetic Complexity of Paramecium Macronuclear Deoxyribonucleic Acid
A. T. SOLDO
Research Laboratories of the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33125
Search for more papers by this authorG. A. GODOY
Research Laboratories of the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33125
We would like to thank Mr. Lincoln Bank for the phase micrograph of the macronuclear preparation. This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant GB 28104.
Search for more papers by this authorA. T. SOLDO
Research Laboratories of the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33125
Search for more papers by this authorG. A. GODOY
Research Laboratories of the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33125
We would like to thank Mr. Lincoln Bank for the phase micrograph of the macronuclear preparation. This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant GB 28104.
Search for more papers by this authorSYNOPSIS
DNA extracted from macronuclei of axenically cultured Paramecium aurelia has been characterized with regard to its kinetic complexity. Renaturation of macronuclear DNA from this protozoon appeared to follow 2nd order kinetics and revealed the presence of 2 components: a main component comprising ∼96% of the genome which renatured slowly and a minor component comprising ∼4% of the genome which renatured at a rate ∼3000 faster than the main component. The value of the kinetic complexity of the main component has been estimated at 3.8 × 1010 daltons and that of the minor component at 1.45 × 107 daltons. It is suggested that the macronucleus contains ∼840 diploid copies of the slowly renaturing component; for each copy of the latter there are ∼100 copies of the fast renaturing component.
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