Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in synchronously growing Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Early log-phase cells of Mycoplasma gallisepticum A5969 were synchronized by holding in Eagle minimal essential medium (MEM) for 2 h. When transferred out of MEM into tryptose medium, the cells exhibited synchronous growth. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis proceeded continuously during this growth but stopped during the period of cell division. One round of DNA replication was observed per cell doubling, and a unique region of DNA was found to be permanently bound to the membrane.