Replication cycle of Bacillus subtilis hydroxymethyluracil-containing phages.

The present review focuses on phage 2C, a member of a family of virulent phages that multiply in Bacillus subtilis. The best known members of this group are SPO1, phi e, H1, 2C, SP8, and SP82, the genomes of which are made of double-stranded DNA of about 150 kilobase pairs (kbp). The two DNA strands have different buoyant densities. Moreover, thymine (T) is completely replaced by hydroxymethyluracil (hmUra). Comparison of the phage DNAs has shown that both base substitutions and deletions have contributed to the evolution of their genomes. In addition, all of the hmUra-phage genomes contain colinear redundant ends, amounting to 10% of total bases. Two lines of evidence suggest that the redundant ends of 2C DNA, in spite of extensive homology, contain unique sequences. Further studies focused on DNA replication during the lytic cycle. The semiconservative replication of the infecting viral genome is followed by extensive recombination. At the level of replication forks, viral DNA synthesis is discontinuous on both strands during the whole cycle. Deoxythymidinetriphosphate, required for viral DNA synthesis in permeabilized infected bacteria, was incorporated in small amounts into phage DNA. The putative primary origin of replication has been cloned and localized on the viral genome. Some viral promoters have been successfully cloned in Escherichia coli. These sequences, however, did not promote transcription in B. subtilis. The abnormal base might be required for promoter activity in the natural host.

Fluorometric in vivo determination of Bacillus subtilis and phage 2C DNA.

The validity of in vivo fluorometric assays was ascertained for phage and bacterial DNA measurements. The following parameters were determined by this simple technique. The DNA content of dividing cells of Bacillus subtilis 168/2 was 2.65 times higher than in resting cells. Assuming that resting cells harbor 1 genomic equivalent, its Mr was estimated to be 4.4 x 10(9) Da. A polymerization rate during growth of 788,000 bp min-1/cell is accounted for by a multifork replication mechanism. Both phage and host DNA could be measured accurately during the lytic cycle. Phage 2C DNA synthesis proceeded at a linear rate of 5.2 genome equivalents min-1.

Spectrofluorometry of dyes with DNAs of different base composition and conformation.

The increase in fluorescence, upon interaction with several fluorescent dyes was found to depend on the base composition of DNA. 4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole-2 HCl and Hoechst 33258 which bind to AT base pairs show a logarithmic relation. This relation is linear when DNAs interact with mithramycin, chromomycin A3, and olivomycin, which bind to GC base pairs. Deviations from these relationships were observed for T2 DNA, containing hydroxymethylcytosine, and for 2C DNA, containing hydroxymethyluracil. On the basis of these data, a simple technique is proposed for determination of base composition. The presence of abnormal bases can be monitored by the use of given fluorophores. Fluorescence intensities were not modified upon linearization of covalently closed circular plasmid pBR322. Denaturation of lambda DNA was accompanied by a decrease of fluorescence, when complexed with the five dyes tested.

Comparison of the genomes of pathogenic treponemes of human and animal origin.

The aim of this study was to compare the genomes of two strains of intestinal treponemes, which were isolated from patients suffering from intestinal disorders, with that of Treponema hyodysenteriae, the known etiological agent of swine dysentery (bloody scours). The guanine-plus-cytosine contents of the three DNAs were found to be 28.5 to 30.0%. DNA-DNA hybridization in liquid phase indicated a high degree of homology (56 to 95%) among the human strains and with T. hyodysenteriae. One of the human strains in particular displayed a very high homology (91 to 95%) with T. hyodysenteriae. The overall conclusion is that treponemal strains pathogenic for humans and animals are clustered within the same species (we propose T. hyodysenteriae), which suggests the possibility of exchange of pathogenic microorganisms between domestic animals and humans.

Restriction analysis and quantitative estimation of methylated bases of filamentous and unicellular cyanobacterial DNAs.

The DNAs of strains of three cyanobacterial genera (Anabaena, Plectonema, and Synechococcus) were found to be partially or fully resistant to many restriction endonucleases. This could be due to the absence of specific sequences or to modifications, rendering given sequences resistant to cleavage. The latter explanation is substantiated by the content of N6-methyladenine and 5-methylcytosine in these genomes, which is high in comparison with that in other bacterial genomes. dcm- and dam-like methylases are present in the three strains (based on the restriction patterns obtained with the appropriate isoschizomeric enzymes). Their contribution to the overall content of methyladenine and methylcytosine in the genomes was calculated. Partial methylation of GATC sequences was observed in Anabaena DNA. In addition, the GATC methylation patterns might not have been random in the three cyanobacterial DNA preparations, as revealed by the appearance of discrete fragments (possibly of plasmid origin) withstanding cleavage by DpnI (which requires the presence of methyladenine in the GATC sequence).