title: Activity of deoxyribonucleic acid fragments of defined size in Bacillus subtilis transformation.
abstract: The transforming activity of Bacillus subtilis deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that had been sheared and purified with respect to size by sucrose gradient sedimentation is given as a function of the DNA molecular weight. It is shown (i) that fragments of median molecular weight 1.2 x 10(6) have finite activity (10(-4)), (ii) that the shape of the activity-versus-molecular weight function is qualitatively similar to that observed previously for Diplococcus pneumoniae, and (iii) that this shape precludes interpretation in terms of critical size models.
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013395:Sucrose; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013395:Sucrose; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases