Studies on electrotransfer of DNA into Escherichia coli: effect of molecular form of DNA.

Effects of several molecular forms of DNA were examined on voltage-pulse-mediated transfection or transformation. Among circular DNAs, the single-stranded microvirid DNA was less infective than the double-stranded replicative form, whereas transfectivity of the relaxed or nicked molecule was nearly equal to or slightly lower than that of the supercoiled DNA. The linearized double-stranded DNA derived from phage or plasmid electrotransfects Escherichia coli, albeit at a reduced efficiency. Alkaline denaturation of the linearized DNA resulted in complete loss of the infectivity. Relationship between terminal structure of the linearized DNA and efficiency of the transfection was investigated. Host recombination function did not significantly affect the infectivity of the linearized DNA.