Chapter 32 

 Chemistry of the Nucleic Acids of Microorganisms* 



A. N. Belozersky and A. S. Spirin 



A. N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR; 

 Biological Faculty of the University of Moscow, USSR 



I. Introduction . , 147 



II. Nucleic Acid Content and Dynamics 148 



1 . Deoxyribonucleic Acid 149 



2. Ribonucleic Acid 151 



III. Constituents of Nucleic Acids 156 



1 . Deoxyribonucleic Acid 156 



2. Ribonucleic Acid 159 



IV. Nucleic Acid Composition and Specificity 161 



1. Age Specificity of Nucleic Acids and Related Problems 162 



2. Species Specificity of Nucleic Acids 165 



3. Nucleic Acid Composition and Variability 181 



4. Conclusion 185 



I. Introduction 



As was known long ago, 1 " 6 bacteria and other microorganisms are char- 

 acterized by a high nucleic acid content in comparison with that of the cells 

 and tissues of higher organisms. The study of the dynamics of the nucleic 

 acid content in microorganisms showed that the nucleic acid content under- 

 goes considerable variations and is closely connected with the physiological 

 state of the culture, i.e., with its age, activity, and growth. 3, 7 ~ 12 



* Translated by Mrs. N. Roomyantseva. 



1 A. N. Belozersky, Mikrobiologia 9, 107 (1940). 



2 R. Vendrely, "Urn symposium sur les proteines," p. 165. Masson et Cie, Paris, 

 1946. 



3 A. N. Belozersky, Cold Spring Harbor Symposia Quant. Biol. 12, 1 (1947). 



4 A. Boivin, R. Vendrely, and R. Tulasne, Bull. acad. natl. med. 131, 39 (1947). 

 6 G. Leonardi, Compt. rend. acad. sci. 229, 393 (1949). 



6 I. Leslie, in "The Nucleic Acids" (E. Chargaff and J. N. Davidson, eds.), Vol. 2, 

 p. 41. Academic Press, New York, 1955. 



7 A. N. Belozersky, Mikrobiologia 10, 185 (1941). 



8 B. Malmgren and C.-G. Heden, Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. 24, 417, 437, 448, 

 472 (1947). 



9 B. Malmgren and C.-G. Heden, Nature 159, 577 (1947). 



10 T. Caspersson, Symposia Soc. Exptl. Biol. 1, 127 (1947). 



11 A. Boivin, Compt. rend. soc. biol. 142, 1258 (1948). 



12 P. C. Caldwell, E. L. Mackor, and C. Hinshelwood, J. Chem. Soc. p. 3151 (1950). 



147 



