Transcription of spontaneously released bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid in frog auricles.

After frog auricles have been in contact with a suspension of bacteria or bacteria-free supernatant fluid, newly synthesized bacterial ribonucleic acid (RNA) is recovered in animal cells. It appears that the presence of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-dependent RNA polymerase is necessary for the transcription of bacterial DNA in the host cells. This phenomenon seems to be related to a transfer of DNA and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from bacteria into animal cells.