THE NUCLEIC ACIDS OF T2, T4, AND T6 BACTERIOPHAGES

Abstract

The deoxyribonucleic acids of the wild type strains of the T2, T4, and T6 bacteriophages contain glucose as an integral part of the molecule; the amount of hexose present in each nucleic acid differs. A study of the acid degradation products of the 3 nucleic acids revealed that in each instance glucose is linked to the apurinic acid component. In the case of the T6 nucleic acid 2 molecules of glucose are linked to hydroxymethylcytidylic acid. The other mono-nucleotides contained no glucose. From these results it is concluded that the 3 viral nucleic acids differ in that they contain different proportions of free and glucose-substituted hydroxymethylcytidylic acids.