Effect of Centrifuge Speed on the Sedimentation of High-Molecular-Weight Bacteriophage G DNA

Large molecular weight bacteriophage G DNA, about five times larger than T2 DNA, was used to test Zimm's theory [(1974) Biophys. Chem. 1, 279–291] for the effect of rotor speed on the sedimentation of large linear monodisperse DNA. Sedimentation profiles from neutral sucrose gradinets at low and high rotor speeds show G DNA sedimenting from 1.8 to 0.7 times as fast as T2 DNA. Experimental measurements indicate that the sedimentation coefficient of G DNA decreases with increasing rotor speed about as fast as predicted by theory.