Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty (5) found that the purified transforming principle of Streptococcus pneumoniae has the properties of a highly polymerized desoxypentose nucleic acid (DNA). This conclusion was based mainly on two facts: (a) the active preparation consisted of highly polymerized DNA, and substances other than DNA could not readily be detected in it, and (b) of many enzymes tested, only desoxyribonuclease (DNase), in minute quantities, could destroy the transforming activity. These results were corroborated by McCarty and Avery (6, 7), and by Hotchkiss (8); in particular, Hotchkiss obtained evidence that the purified and active transforming principle may contain no more than 0.02 per cent protein and that the progressive purification of DNA does not result in any significant decrease of the transforming activity.Similar evidence was obtained when studying the transforming principles of other bacterial species, ttemophilus influemae (9, 10) and Neisseria meningitidts (ll, 12).The above findings have opened the possibilities for more detailed studies of the chemistry of the transforming activity. Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty (5) studied qualitatively the resistance of the transforming activity to various agents; the resistance was much higher in the non-purified than in the purified transforming principle. McCarty (13) studied the inactivation of the transforming principle by ascorbic acid and other serf-oxidizing agents, and the reactivation by reducing agents. However, to the authors' knowledge, no other study on the chemistry of the transforming activity has been reported.The object of the present work is such a study. The purpose of this study is manifold. The first aim is to obtain still more evidence as to the DNA nature of the transforming principle. Another object is to determine safe conditions