Molecular characterization of the genomes of actinophages SH3, SH10, SH11, and SH12 infecting Streptomyces hygroscopicus

Abstract

Some physico-chemical properties of the DNAs released from the actinophages SH3, SH10, SH11, and SH12 are described. The four phage DNAs have a linear double-stranded secondary structure and are unique with respect to their high G.C contents which, from melting studies and buoyant density experiments, were found to be in the range of 68-73 mol-%. The DNA molecular weights were determined by sedimentation velocity experiments and by electron microscopic length measurements, the mean values of the two corresponding data sets being 34.0 x 10(6) (SH3), 26.7 x 10(6) (SH10), 26.1 x 10(6) (SH11), and 28.7 x 10(6) (SH12) with a mean relative error of +/- 5%. From different observations it was concluded that SH10 DNA, and possibly also SH11 and SH12 DNA, have cohesive ends and can undergo intramolecular or intermolecular association to form ring-like monomers or linear and ring-like multimers. Cleavage of the DNAs of SH3, SH10, SH11, and SH12 by EcoRI restriction endonuclease delivered two, one, zero, and two cleavage sites, respectively, and by BamHI restriction endonuclease eight, zero, zero, and zero cleavage sites, respectively.