Summary
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been isolated from 4-cell stages of Ascaris lumbricoides. This DNA amounts to about 40% of the total quantity of 4-cell-stage DNA. Its buoyant density in neutral CsCl gradients is 1.686 g cm-3. Electron microscopy of mtDNA demonstrated the presence of circular molecules with an average contour length of 4.64 µm. About 15% of these molecules are supercoiled, covalently closed circles, whereas some 2% consist of double-forked circular molecules. The form and size of these branched molecules suggest that they are replicative intermediates.
- Received April 4, 1974.
- Copyright © 1974 The Company of Biologists Ltd.