Deoxyribonuclease activity in rumen bacteria

Abstract
Deoxyribonuclease activity was surveyed in 22 strains belonging to 12 species of rumen bacteria, with lambda bacteriophage DNA as substrate. Activity was readily detected in broken cell preparations from 15 of these strains. Particularly high levels of activity were present in cells and culture supernatant of all 5 strains of Bacteroides succinogenes, and 2 out of 6 strains of Bacteroides ruminicola, examined.