[Dynamics of nucleic acid and protein content in Bacillus thuringiensis cells]

The content of DNA, RNA and protein was assayed in Bacillus thuringiensis var. insectus Guk at different growth stages and under different cultivation conditions. The content of RNA and protein was found to be maximal in the cells at the end of the lag phase and at the beginning of the exponential phase; then, this content decreased with aging of the culture. The content of DNA in the strain depended on the conditions of cultivation, and reached amounts corresponding to 10-13 chromosomes when the culture was grown in a richer nutrient medium (L-broth).