BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CELL DIVISION IN USTILAGO SPHAEROGENA,
Abstract
Long and short cells uf U. sphaerogena, produced by different nitrogen sources, were analyzed for several cell constituents in an effort to correlate biochemical changes with differing rates of cell division. Various inhibiting agents might be expected to affect different reactions in a process as complex as cell division, and apparently several sites of action were observed in these experiments. Increased PNA:DNA ratios were observed in long cells grown on glycine, PNA, or aspartic acid plus ademine as nitrogen sources. Long cells grown on aspartic acid plus cysteine or aspartic plus succinate, and short cells showed lower ratios. All long cells, except those grown on aspartic acid plus succinate, which showed a greatly reduced total carbohydrate content conceivably responsible for reduced division, exhibited a low phospholipid content. A non-nucleic acid component, probably polyphosphates, of cellular hot TCA extracts tended to be high in long cells. These observations are discussed in light of the need to separate and study the metabolic systems and the specific reactions involved in the enormously complex process of cell division. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 24, 1958
- Accession Number
- AD0806448
Entities
People
- Edward Spoerl
- J. P. Wachter
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Laboratory