scholarly journals Nucleic acid synthesis and nucleotide pools in purine-deficient Escherichia coli

1970 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian A. Thomas ◽  
N. F. Varney ◽  
K. Burton

1. The synthesis of nucleic acids and the content of purine nucleotides have been studied in selected purine-requiring strains of Escherichia coli including a purB− strain and a purB−guaA− strain. 2. When the exogenous purines can be converted into GTP but not into ATP, RNA is synthesized at the expense of intracellular ATP, ADP and AMP. 3. Net synthesis of RNA as measured by the incorporation of uracil can be correlated with the availability of GTP except when ATP falls to a very low concentration. 4. Nicotinamide nucleotides are not an important reservoir of adenine nucleotides for RNA synthesis.

1970 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. F. Varney ◽  
Gillian A. Thomas ◽  
K. Burton

1. Experiments with rifampicin and stringent strains of Escherichia coli (pro−purB−rel+) indicate that purine deficiency does not decrease and may considerably increase the potential for RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase molecules that are bound to DNA and have already commenced transcription. 2. DNA–RNA hybridization experiments indicate that purine starvation increases the distribution of bound RNA polymerase molecules between the cistrons for mRNA and those for stable RNA. 3. Synthesis of β-galactosidase mRNA is more dependent on the ability to synthesize guanine nucleotides than on the ability to synthesize adenine nucleotides. 4. Amino acid starvation tends to decrease the potential for RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase molecules bound to DNA. 5. Since this effect differs from that due to purine starvation, amino acid control of RNA synthesis does not appear to operate solely by causing a deficiency of purine nucleotides. 6. The results are discussed in terms of the ability to initiate RNA chains and to extend them under different circumstances.


Weed Science ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 669-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie J. Reger ◽  
Ida E. Yates

Dark-incubated common purslane(Portulaca oleraceaL.) seed synthesize very little protein and essentially no nucleic acids. Dark-incubated seed incorporate only 14 × 10−3nmoles14C-leucine/mg protein/12-h dark. In contrast, seed exposed to 12-h light following 24-h dark incubation incorporate 365 × 10−3-nmoles14C-leucine/mg protein/12-h light. Once dormancy is broken by exposure of seed to light, initiation of radicle protrusion occurs at 12 h. Protein synthesis gradually increases with time in the light and precedes nucleic acid synthesis which is associated with radicle protrusion. During the 12-h lag period preceding radicle protrusion protein synthesis increases significantly by 3 to 9 h in light, RNA synthesis by 9 h in light, and DNA synthesis by 12 h in light. After 12 h in light,32P can be detected in all nucleic acid fractions, DNA and RNAs.


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