title: Genome of Bacillus subtilis Bacteriophage SPP1: Structure and Nucleotide Sequence of pac, the Origin of DNA Packaging.
abstract: The DNA of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 is terminally redundant and partially circularly permuted. To explain these parameters, we followed the Streisinger-Botstein models of phage maturation and assumed that packaging of SPP1 DNA begins at a unique genomic site ("pac") and proceeds sequentially from there. We describe the sequence of about 1,000 nucleotides surrounding pac. This together with size determinations of small, pac-terminated restriction fragments has revealed heterogeneity of the natural pac ends of SPP1 DNA. Such ends fell in each DNA strand into a region of five to seven nucleotides. However, within this range more than 50% of all molecules terminated with defined cytosines on both strands, generating a 3' protruding terminus. The nucleotide sequence of the DNA segment surrounding pac did not reveal any features which would distinguish this region.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Abteilung Trautner, D-1000 Berlin 33, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deichelbohrer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Messer
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Trautner