CANAVANINE DEATH AND THE MECHANISM OF DNA REPLICATION IN E. COLI AND MAMMALIAN CELLS

摘要

Our experiments have revealed that the mechanism by which the amino acid analogue, canavanine, causes death of Escherichia coli cells is intimately related to a disruption of the normal organization of the bacterial genome. The irreversible positioning of 2 to 8 canavanyl-protein bodies on the bacterial membrane appears to jam the DNA replication process causing an abnormal binding of DNA to the membrane, and disrupt the nucleus. Studies employing cell-free extracts and priming DNA synthesis with 0X single stranded DNA show that extracts from canavanine-killed cells convert 0X SS to RFII and RFI as do normal cell extracts.