Characterization of deoxyribonucleic Acid species from castor bean endosperm: inability to detect a unique deoxyribonucleic Acid species associated with glyoxysomes.

Three DNA buoyant density species (nuclear, 1.692 g cm(-3); mitochondria 1.705 g cm(-3); and proplastid, 1.713 g cm(-3)) can be detected in extracts from castor bean endosperm. No other buoyant density species can be identified. DNA extracts from sucrose density gradient purified glyoxysomes exhibit varying amounts of each of the three identified DNAs but no other distinguishable DNA species. RNA synthesized in vitro by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase using purified castor bean nuclear DNA as a template, hybridizes equally well with its template and with the 1.692 g cm(-3) species from glyoxysome fractions. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to microbody biogenesis.