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PMID: 4992370 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Methylated bases of Bacillus megaterium KM nucleic acids: comparison with Escherichia coli.

Journal of bacteriology ·Vol. 104 ·No. 2 ·1970-11-00 ·Pages 814-8

Wachsman JT, Irwin V

Abstract

Parallel studies were performed with methionineless derivatives of Escherichia coli 15 T(-) and Bacillus megaterium KM: T(-). Methylated bases are present in the total cell ribonucleic acid (RNA) of B. megaterium. The level of RNA methylation in E. coli is about 60% greater than that in B. megaterium. Although E. coli deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was found to contain 0.12% 5-methylcytosine (5-MC) and 0.24% 6-methylaminopurine (6-MA), methylated bases were not detected in the DNA of B. megaterium. Assuming a molecular weight of 7 x 10(9) daltons for B. megaterium DNA, it was calculated that this organism could not contain more than one molecule of 5-MC or 6-MA per genome, and that possibly no methylated bases were present. Methylated bases were also not detected in the DNA of thymine-starved B. megaterium. Crude extracts of this organism possess RNA methylase activity but no detectable DNA methylase activity.

MeSH Terms
Adenine/analysis Bacillus megaterium/analysis,enzymology,growth & development,metabolism Carbon Isotopes Chromatography, Paper Culture Media Cytosine/analysis DNA, Bacterial/analysis Escherichia coli/analysis,enzymology,growth & development,metabolism Freeze Drying Genetics, Microbial Methionine/metabolism Methylation Mutation RNA, Bacterial/analysis Species Specificity Thymine/analysis,metabolism Transferases/metabolism Tritium
Chemicals
Carbon Isotopes Culture Media DNA, Bacterial RNA, Bacterial Tritium Cytosine Methionine Transferases Adenine Thymine
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Wachsman J T
Irwin V
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21 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of bacteriology
Abbr.
J Bacteriol
ISSN
0021-9193
DOI
10.1128/jb.104.2.814-818.1970
Published
1970-11-00
Pages
814-8
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
2985120R
PMCID
PMC285063
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/jb.104.2.814-818.1970 PMC Full Text View journal details
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