Effect of ribonuclease on the association of deoxyribonucleic acid with the membrane in Escherichia coli.

The Mg-2+-Sarkosyl crystals (M band) procedure was used to study the effect of ribonuclease (RNase) A on the association of Escherichia coli deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with membrane. Incubation of gently prepared cell extracts with RNase results in the release of DNA from membrane. This effect appears to result from the activation, by RNase, of endonuclease I and subsequent limited activity of this deoxyribonuclease. In support of this explanation, it is demonstrated (i) that the extent of the RNase-induced loss of DNA from membrane is directly correlated with the endogenous level of endonuclease I, and (ii) that endonucleolytic activity occurs when gently lysed cell preparations are incubated in the presence of RNase.