The presented study was undertaken to determine the
operational catabolic carbohydrate pathway(s) contributing
to the synthesis of the DNA of the actinophage for
Streptomyces griseus. The incorporation of glucose-6-¹⁴C versus glucose-1-¹⁴C was determined for the
deoxyribose and purine and pyrimidine bases of the phage
DNA. The specific activities of the pentose and base
moieties were calculated. Methods for the purification
of the phage and isolation of the phage DNA were used.
Development of deoxyribose isolation and quantitation
procedures were of major importance in the investigation.
The purine and pyrimidine bases were determined by standard
methods. Radiotracer experiments were performed by
liquid scintillation technique.
It was concluded that the S. griseus phage DNA
deoxyribose was synthesized primarily by the non-oxidative transketolase-transaldolase series of reactions. A minor deoxyribose synthesizing pathway was
determined to be the oxidative hexosemonophosphate
scheme. The phage DNA bases were not synthesized via a
carbohydrate mechanism
