APPARENT CHANGES IN MOUSE LIVER DNA CONTENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE BY NON-DNA DIPHENYLAMINE-REACTING CYTOPLASMIC MATERIAL

A significant decrease occurs in the amount of diphenylamine-reacting material extracted with a nucleic acid fraction of liver if rats or mice are deprived of food for several days. However, this decrease, which is rapidly regained on refeeding the animals, does not represent loss of liver DNA, for no corresponding decrease was found if DNA was assayed by phosphate content or ultraviolet absorbance. The interfering material, which is predominantly cytoplasmic, yields a colored product in the diphenylamine reaction, resembling that given by deoxyribose but having an absorbance maximum at about 660 mμ rather than at 600 mμ. Also, the rate of color development with the interfering substance is slower than that observed with deoxyribose. © 1969.