title: Nucleic acid content and nucleotide composition of DNA in leptospirae.
abstract: The contents of DNA and RNA were studied in 9 strains of leptospirae and the composition of nitrogen bases of DNA in 20 strains of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospirae. It has been found that leptospirae contain a high per cent ration of nucleic acids. According to the nucleotide composition, the family of Leptospira as a whole belongs to the AT-type. According to overall guanine and cytosine contents, the investigated strains of pathogenic leptospirae fall into 3 groups and differ from the seprophytic strains. With respect to the limited number of the investigated strains, the DNA nucleotide composition of leptospirae can be used as a supplementary biochemical criterion in the classification of leptospirae.
mesh_terms: D002854:Chromatography, Paper; D003596:Cytosine / Q000032:analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006147:Guanine / Q000032:analysis; D007919:Leptospira / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000032:analysis*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009711:Nucleotides; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D006147:Guanine; D003596:Cytosine