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The Kinetic Complexity of Paramecium Macronuclear Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Author(s) -
SOLDO A. T.,
GODOY G. A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1972.tb03558.x
Subject(s) - macronucleus , paramecium aurelia , genome , dna , component (thermodynamics) , paramecium , biology , kinetics , kinetic energy , chemistry , biophysics , genetics , biochemistry , gene , physics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
SYNOPSIS DNA extracted from macronuclei of axenically cultured Paramecium aurelia has been characterized with regard to its kinetic complexity. Renaturation of macronuclear DNA from this protozoon appeared to follow 2nd order kinetics and revealed the presence of 2 components: a main component comprising ∼96% of the genome which renatured slowly and a minor component comprising ∼4% of the genome which renatured at a rate ∼3000 faster than the main component. The value of the kinetic complexity of the main component has been estimated at 3.8 × 10 10 daltons and that of the minor component at 1.45 × 10 7 daltons. It is suggested that the macronucleus contains ∼840 diploid copies of the slowly renaturing component; for each copy of the latter there are ∼100 copies of the fast renaturing component.