Serological relatedness of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases.

A number of bacterial species have been surveyed for serological activities with antiserum to Escherichia coli B deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase I (EC 2.7.7.7.). The degree of serological cross-reaction is taken as a measure of relatedness of both the enzyme molecules from various species and the bacterial species themselves. Extracts were assayed by complement fixation only after treatment with deoxyribonuclease, since DNA bound to DNA polymerase alters the serological activity of the enzyme. Antiserum to E. coli DNA polymerase I did not react with either purified E. coli DNA polymerase II or the phage T4-induced DNA polymerase.