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Acinetobacter calcoaceticus liberates chromosomal DNA during induction of competence by cell lysis

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Abstract

A transformation assay was used to assay the amount of DNA present in the extracellular medium of a growing culture of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. It was observed that small amounts of DNA were liberated during the entire exponential growth phase in a batch culture. Release of DNA could be fully accounted for by lysis of cells. Lysis was quantified via simultaneous measurement of β-galactosidase activity of cells and supernatant, with a strain that contained a plasmid (pAPA100) with lacZ under control of a constitutive β-lactamase promoter. In conclusion, no evidence could be obtained indicating that Acinetobacter calcoaceticus actively excretes DNA, to be used for DNA exchange.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, E.C. Slater Institute, BioCentrum Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Ronald Palmen & Klaas J. Hellingwerf

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  1. Ronald Palmen
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  2. Klaas J. Hellingwerf
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Palmen, R., Hellingwerf, K.J. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus liberates chromosomal DNA during induction of competence by cell lysis. Current Microbiology 30, 7–10 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00294516

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