Abstract
DNA extracted by a standard method from Mycoplasma hominis Sprott, resistant to 100 μg tetracycline, permitted the quantitative genetic transformation of tetracycline-sensitive Mycoplasma salivarium to resistance. The yield was 1 μg DNA/109 cells. This DNA enabled determination of the optimum conditions for making M. salivarium competent with CaCl2 and for studying some factors affecting transformation. Mycoplasma salivarium was transformed to resistance to 10, 20, and 30 μg tetracycline but not to 40 μg. The optimum DNA concentration for transforming resistance to 10, 20, and30 μg tetracycline was the same, i.e., 50 μg DNA/108 viable cells. Treatment with DNase indicated that DNA uptake took 30 min. Competition between transforming DNA and DNA from calf thymus and M. salivarium tets inhibited transformation.