scholarly journals Altered ribosomes after inhibition of Escherichia coli by rifampicin

1971 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Blundell ◽  
D. G. Wild

Addition of rifampicin to growing cells of Escherichia coli affected the ribosomes. The polyribosomes first decayed to 70S ribosomes. These later dissociated to particles distinct from ribosomal subunits. The altered ribosomes sedimented more slowly than the corresponding subunits and had lost some protein; their ribosomal RNA was intact, but they were more susceptible to degradation by ribonuclease than normal ribosomes. The addition of rifampicin to preparations of lysed cells caused no detectable changes in the ribosome fraction.

Author(s):  
John H. Nisbet ◽  
Henry S. Slayter

Several studies have indicated that treatment of ribosomes and ribosomal subunits with EDTA at low ionic strength results in the formation of slower-sedimenting species which have not lost any significant amount of protein (see, for example, reference 1). Here we attempt to follow morphologically the process of magnesium removal from the 50S ribosomal subunit of Escherichia coli, using strain Q13 which exhibits a low RNase I activity. 50S particles, initially in 0.01M Tris, 0.0001M MgCl2, pH 7.4, were treated with EDTA either by dialysis against 0.002M Tris, 0.001M EDTA, pH 7.4, or by direct addition of a 0.1M solution of EDTA to a final concentration of 0.001M. On sucrose gradients made up in the Tris-EDTA buffer, the particles sedimented as a sharp peak in the 10-12S region, with no detectable slower - sedimenting species. Sucrose gradient analysis of the ribosomal RNA following EDTA treatment of 50S subunits showed that 23S RNA were largely converted to 16S, reflecting a low level of endogenous nuclease activity in the subunit preparation.


Author(s):  
John H. Nisbet ◽  
Henry S. Slayter

Wild - type strains of Escherichia coli are known to contain as many as four endogenous nucleases (Ref. 1). These are commonly found associated with the ribosomes after extraction from the cell, but may be removed, with the exception of RNase IV, by washing the ribosomes in NH4Cl (at 0.2 M and higher concentrations). We have examined the effect of these nucleases on the 50S ribosomal subunit of one wild-type strain, K12 (Hfr 3000), by incubating the unwashed particles at 37° in the presence of varying magnesium concentrations.At 10-4 molar magnesium (slower at 10-3 molar), the 50S particle is converted to a species sedimenting at about 44S. About 20% of the total O.D260 is liberated at the same time. Continued incubation leads to the release of more O.D260 material while the RNA remaining in the 44S (Fig. 1) particle is progressively cleaved, eventually to the point where it consists of one principal fragment of molecular weight 0.42 x 106 daltons and several lesser fragments. The ribosomal RNA and proteins have been characterized by acrylamide gel electrophoresis.


1969 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fry ◽  
Michael Artman

1. RNA synthesized by Escherichia coli during one-hundredth of the generation time contains two fractions distinguishable by hybridization with homologous DNA. One fraction, approximately 30% of the newly synthesized RNA, did not compete with ribosomal RNA, being apparently messenger RNA. The other fraction, approximately 70% of the newly made RNA, hybridized as ribosomal RNA. These values are comparable with previous estimates (McCarthy & Bolton, 1964; Pigott & Midgley, 1968). 2. Hybridization-competition experiments showed that the newly made RNA associated with 70s ribosomes and larger ribosome aggregates was a mixture of ribosomal RNA and messenger RNA, whereas that associated with nascent ribosomal subunits consisted exclusively of ribosomal RNA. This observation provides means by which newly synthesized ribosomal RNA can be isolated free from messenger RNA. 3. Newly made ribosomal RNA in nascent ribosomal subunits was sensitive to shear under conditions where ribosomal RNA in mature ribosomes was shear-resistant. Thus, when RNA was extracted from cells of E. coli disrupted by mechanical means, newly made ribosomal RNA appeared heterogeneous in size, sedimenting as a broad peak extending from 8s to 16s. 4. Newly synthesized ribosomal RNA in nascent ribosomal subunits was rapidly degraded in the presence of actinomycin D and during glucose starvation. 5. Newly synthesized ribosomal RNA stimulated amino acid incorporation in a system synthesizing protein in vitro to the same extent as the RNA which contained the messenger RNA fraction.


Genetics ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-227
Author(s):  
W Scott Champney

ABSTRACT Two variations of the method of localized mutagenesis were used to introduce mutations into the 72 min region of the Escherichia coli chromosome. Twenty temperature-sensitive mutants, with linkage to markers in this region, have been examined. Each strain showed an inhibition of growth in liquid medium at 44°, and 19 of the mutants lost viability upon prolonged incubation at this temperature. A reduction in the rate of in vivo RNA and protein synthesis was observed for each mutant at 44°, relative to a control strain. Eleven of the mutants were altered in growth sensitivity or resistance to one or more of three ribosomal antibiotics. The incomplete assembly of ribosomal subunits was detected in nine strains grown at 44°. The characteristics of these mutants suggest that many of them are altered in genes for translational or transcriptional components, consistent with the clustering of these genes at this chromosomal locus.


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