The satellite DNA's of some higher plants

A high amount of satellite DNA in the genome of Lupinus angustifolius L

Embryo DNA, isolated from ungerminated seeds of Lupinus angustifolius L., contains an exceptionally high amount of guanine-cytosine-rich satellite DNA. The thermal denaturation curve of total embryo DNA is biphasic with an inflexion point at 62% denaturation, indicating the presence of satellite DNA. The satellite fraction could be separated from the mainband DNA by three successive preparative CsCl-gradient centrifugations. The densities of the DNA fractions are 1.7045 g cm(-3) and 1.6925 g cm(-3), respectively. The percentages of guanine-cytosine calculated from these densities are comparable to the percentages of GC calculated from the melting temperatures. Finally, ressociation studies prove that foldback DNA and highly repeated sequences are much more frequent in the satellite DNA fraction than in the mainband DNA.

[Isolation and characterization of native nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid from tobacco leaves]

Tobacco nuclear DNA (nDNA) was isolated from tobacco leaf nuclei which were prepared according to our previously published procedure [8]. The nDNA was characterized by base analysis, absorption spectrophotometry, analytical CsCl density gradient equilibrium centrifugation and by its melting behaviour. The results show that the isolated tobacco nDNA is native, high molecular weight DNA, which is free of detectable amounts of chloroplast DNA, RNA, protein and polysaccharides. From its melting behaviour it was concluded that tobacco nDNA can be placed close to calf thymus DNA with respect to intramolecular heterogeneity. Experiments on the partial and complete denaturation of tobacco nDNA and its ability to renature are also reported.

Reexamination of the association between melting point, buoyant density, and chemical base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid

The equations currently used for the calculation of the chemical base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), expressed as moles per cent guanine plus cytosine (% GC), from either buoyant density (rho) or midpoint of thermal denaturation (T(m)) were recalculated by using only sets of data on DNA determined with the same strains. All available information from the literature was screened and supplemented by unpublished data. The results were calculated by regression and correlation analysis and treated statistically. From the data on 96 strains of bacteria, it was calculated that% GC = 2.44 (T(m) - 69.4). T(m) appears to be unaffected by the substitution of cytosine by hydroxymethylcytosine. This equation is also valid for nonbacterial DNA. From the data on 84 strains of bacteria, the relation% GC = 1038.47 (-1.6616) was calculated. The constants in this equation are slightly modified when data on nonbacterial DNA are included. Both correlations differ only slightly from those currently used, but now they lean on a statistically sound basis. As a control, the relation between rho and T(m) was calculated from data of 197 strains; it agrees excellently with the above two equations.

Chloroplast replication and growth in tobacco

Tobacco etioplasts replicate at least twice during light-induced development. Their size is doubled over the same period. The two processes do not show the same kinetics. 5-Fluorodeoxyuridine inhibits chlorophyll synthesis during the normal course of "greening" by inhibiting chloroplast growth. This compound also inhibits cytokinin-induced chloroplast replication.

Kinetic complexity of chloroplastal deoxyribonucleic acid and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid from higher plants

1. Chloroplasts and mitochondria were isolated by aqueous and non-aqueous cell-fractionation techniques. In a variety of higher plants the mitochondrial DNA bands in a caesium chloride gradient at 1.706g.cm.(-3), whereas chloroplastal DNA has a buoyant density of 1.697g.cm.(-3). 2. In total cellular DNA of moderate molecular weight, the chloroplastal DNA is found within the Gaussian distribution of the nuclear DNA and is not resolved as a satellite. 3. Both chloroplastal DNA and mitochondrial DNA from lettuce renature rapidly. 4. The kinetic complexity of mitochondrial DNA is > 10(8) daltons. 5. Chloroplastal DNA is made up from fast and slow renaturing sequences with kinetic complexities of 3x10(6) and 1.2x10(8) daltons respectively. 6. From the discrepancy between analytical and kinetic complexity it is concluded that chloroplastal DNA is extensively reiterated.