THE DUPLICATION OF BACTERIAL CHROMATIN

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Abstract
During the change of bacterial spores into young vegetative rods (germination), desoxyribon-ucleic acid (DNA) shows a continuous rise parallel to the increase in area of stainable chromatin. Not until the DNA has doubled are 2 separate daughter "nuclei" formed. This simultaneous duplication andseparation of bacterial chromatin indicates that a typical mitosis (i.e. separation occurring after duplication of DNA) is not occurring. The arrangement of the chromatin seen in hydrolyzed (HCI) and stained (azure A) preps. of thick suspensions of synch -ronously germinating spores was examined and processes of reduplication of the chromatin structure which fit both the cytological and the chemical evidence are discussed. The chromatin structure before the rise of DNA is seen in both sp. studied, as a triad of granules. With the rise of DNA, it continously reduplicates itself in a side to side fashion throughout germination.