Meselson and Stahl carried out centrifugation in CsCl₂ density gradient to separate :
DNA from RNA
DNA from protein
The normal DNA from ¹⁵N-DNA
DNA from tRNA
The normal DNA from ¹⁵N-DNA
The correct option is "The normal DNA from ¹⁵N-DNA".
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Context of the Experiment:
Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl performed their famous experiment in 1958 to prove the semi-conservative replication of DNA using the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli).
2. Use of Nitrogen Isotopes:
They grew E. coli in a medium containing a heavy isotope of nitrogen, 15N (in the form of 15NH4Cl), as the sole nitrogen source for many generations. This resulted in the incorporation of 15N into the newly synthesized DNA, making it "heavy" DNA. They then transferred the cells to a medium containing the normal light isotope, 14N (in the form of 14NH4Cl).
3. Cesium Chloride (CsCl) Density Gradient Centrifugation:
To distinguish between the DNA containing the normal light isotope (14N-DNA) and the DNA containing the heavy isotope (15N-DNA), they extracted DNA from the bacterial cells at various time intervals and subjected it to density gradient centrifugation using cesium chloride (CsCl).
4. Separation Mechanism:
When CsCl is centrifuged at very high speeds, it forms a density gradient where the density increases from the top to the bottom of the centrifuge tube. During centrifugation, the DNA molecules migrate to a position in the gradient where their density matches the density of the surrounding CsCl solution. Because 15N-DNA has a higher density than normal 14N-DNA, the two types of DNA sediment at different levels in the gradient, allowing them to be separated based on their density differences.