A simplified procedure for the analysis of DNA polymerase III levels in Bacillus subtilis strains

A simple and reproducible procedure is described which allows the fast and almost quantitative removal of DNA polymerases I and II from DNA polymerase III, in crude extracts of polA+ strains of Bacillus subtilis. The procedure entails streptomycin sulfate and ammonium sulfate fractionations; subsequent analysis of the partially purified preparation by G-200 chromatography, DEAE cellulose chromatography and density gradient sedimentation, shows that the ammonium sulfate fraction contains less than 5% of the total activity as DNA polymerase I and less than 2% as DNA polymerase II. The purification procedure, up to the ammonium sulfate step, was utilized for the analysis of the level of DNA polymerase III in several B. subtilis mutants, with results comparable to those obtained from the corresponding polA- strains following more cumbersome purification procedures. The M.W. of the purified form is of 227.000, somewhat greater than the published values. The early fractions of the purification have revealed the existence of a form with a M.W. of 426.000; the nature of this form, which has been observed in several instances and which is very unstable and short-lived, is under investigation.