Write short note on Biochemical characterisation of Transforming Principle.

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Prior to the work of Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod and Maclyn McCarty ($1933$-$44$) the genetic material was thought to be a protein.

They worked to determine the biochemical nature of 'transforming principle' in Griffith's experiment.

They purified biochemicals (proteins, $DNA$, $RNA$ etc.) from the heat-killed $S$ cells to see which ones could transform live $\mathrm{R}$ cells into $\mathrm{S}$ cells.

The discovered that $DNA$ alone from $S$ becteria caused $\mathrm{R}$ bacteria to become transformed.

They also discovered that protein digesting enzymes (proteases) and $RNA$ - digesting enzymes [$RNases$] did not affect transformation, so the transforming substance was not a protein or $RNA$.

Digestion with $DNase$ did inhibit transformation suggesting that the $DNA$ caused the transformation.

They concluded that $DNA$ is the hereditary material, but not all biologists were convinced.

Similar Questions

Which of the following radioactive isotopes were utilised for labelling protein and $DNA$ in transduction experiment respectively?

A molecule that can act as a genetic material having characteristics .........

Which of the following was used by Hershey and Chase to prove that $DNA$  is the chemical basis of heredity

  • [AIIMS 1993]

Which of the following is false for $RNA$?

$(i)$ $RNA$ can directly code for the synthesis of proteins

$(ii)$ It is very common process to synthesis $DNA$ from $RNA$

$(iii)$ $RNA$ is used as genetic material only in human

$(iv)$ One polynucleotide chain is present in $RNA$

Give differences : $DNA$ and $RNA$