Retardation time measurementson replicating bacillus subtilis chromosomes: effect of EDTA concentration.

We have found that high concentrations of EDTA (greater than 0.024 M) are necessary to produce large, constant numbers of intact replicating Bacillus subtilis chromosomes in lysates of log phase cells. The retardation time of replicating chromosomes in log phase cell lysates is about double that for chromosomes in stationary phase cell lysates, thus making measurement of retardation time a sensitive way to detect and study replicating chromosomes. A theory is developed to predict retardation times for many possible models of DNA replication. The retardation time data on log phase cells is sufficient to eliminate many replication models, but many possibilities remain.