Adenosine Triphosphate-Dependent Synthesis of Biologically Active DNA by Azide-Poisoned Bacteria

Abstract

Nonviable cells of Bacillus subtilis, when made permeable by treatment under controlled conditions with nonionic detergent, can be shown to replicate DNA normally and to repair certain regions of the chromosome. The former process is stimulated by ATP in the presence of dATP, dCTP, dGTP, and dTTP. The product, a result of semiconservative replication, is biologically active; synthesis of the newly-formed regions of the chromosome appears to be sequential.