Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis during exponential growth and microcyst formation in Myxococcus xanthus.
Myxococcus xanthus in exponential phase with a generation time of 270 min contained a period of 50 min during which deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis did not take place. After induction of microcysts by the glycerol technique, the DNA content increased 19%. Autoradiographic experiments demonstrated that the DNA made after glycerol induction was not evenly distributed among the microcysts. The distribution of grains per microcyst fits the following model of chromosome replication: in exponential phase, each daughter cell receives two chromosomes which are replicated sequentially during 80% of the divison cycle; after microcyst induction, no chromosomes are initiated. Mathematical formulas were derived which predict the kinetics and discrete probability distribution for several chromosome models.
D001345:Autoradiography; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002875:Chromosomes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014316:Tritium
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014316:Tritium