Thymineless death in Bacillus subtilis: correlation between cell lysis and deoxyribonucleic acid breakdown.
Bacillus subtilis carrying an inducible defective phage is several times more sensitive to thymineless death than a mutagenized derivative that behaves as a nonlysogen. When the integrity of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of both strains was examined during thymine starvation by transformation experiments, sedimentation studies, and measurements of acid-soluble DNA degradation products, it was shown that extensive DNA breakdown occurred only in the lysogenic strain. During thymine starvation of this strain, there is a progressive proclivity to lysis, followed by leakage of DNA and DNA degradation products. Such leakage was not observed in the nonlysogen. A correlation between proclivity to lysis and extensive DNA degradation is indicated.
D000225:Adenine / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008242:Lysogeny; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009153:Mutagens; D009154:Mutation; D009604:Nitrosoguanidines; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013941:Thymine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014316:Tritium
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008937:Mitomycins; D009153:Mutagens; D009604:Nitrosoguanidines; D014316:Tritium; D000225:Adenine; D013941:Thymine; D013936:Thymidine; D012293:Rifampin