Sequence homology at the 5'-termini of insect messenger RNAs

Treatment of insect polyribosomes with 1 M KCl released a messenger ribonucleoprotein with a pronounced 16S peak. Phenol extraction resulted in a defined peak of 10S RNA, which was judged as mRNA by the following criteria: it showed specificity for binding to ribosomes, and the formation of initiation complex was dependent on protein initiation factors, GTP, mRNA, and aminoacyl-tRNA. The complex directed protein synthesis upon the addition of elongation factors. mRNA was treated with phosphatase and phosphorylated at the 5'-end with [(32)P]cyanoethylphosphate. [(32)P]mRNA was digested by T1 ribonuclease to completion and chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose. The only fragment with (32)P was 15 nucleotides long; it was treated with pancreatic ribonuclease and fingerprinted. Fractions of AC, AAC, and AAAC were found. Initiation signal AUG or GUG in these mRNAs does not begin immediately at the 5'-end and may be at a distance greater than 15 nucleotides. Alkaline hydrolysis of mRNAs labeled in vivo with [(14)C]adenosine revealed Ap and pppAp. Alkaline hydrolysis of mRNA labeled with (32)P at the 5'-terminus resulted in pAp. Hence, these results suggest that in a heterogeneous population of mRNAs from insects, all start with A and have sequence homology at the 5'-termini. This sequence may reflect the signal for RNA polymerase on the gene or may promote the binding of mRNA to ribosomes.

Characterization of a cold-sensitive hisW mutant of Salmonella typhimurium

A cold-sensitive mutant of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 that grows at 37 C but not at 20 C has altered repression regulation in at least two amino acid biosynthetic pathways (histidine and isoleucine). The lesion conferring cold sensitivity that is linked with hisW is recessive. Assays for the acceptance of some amino acids by transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) reveal a decreased ability of the mutant tRNA to accept arginine, phenylalanine, and histidine. A mutation in a gene for tRNA maturation is a likely possibility for the mutation producing these effects on growth, regulation, and amino acid acceptance.

A temperature-sensitive glycyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase mutant of Escherichia coli

A method of selecting temperature-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli which makes use of a double temperature shift combined with suicide as a result of incorporated 3H-uridine is described. One mutant selected in this way shows restricted growth at 42 °C resulting from early inhibition of protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. In vitro assays of aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetase activity indicated a complete absence of active glycyl-transfer RNA synthetase in the mutant. This enzyme activity in the mutant was distinguishable from the wild type by its rapid inactivation at 28 °C in cell-free extracts. Infection of the temperature-sensitive mutant with bacteriophage T4 did not alter the heat-sensitivity of the mutant enzyme. The mutation is 72% cotransducible with the xyl locus.

Analysis of isoaccepting transfer ribonucleic acid species of Bacillus subtilis: changes in chromatography of transfer ribonucleic acids associated with stage of development

Changes in chromatographic profiles of tyrosyl-, leucyl-, tryptophanyl-, and lysyl-transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) are presented as a function of the growth stage in Bacillus subtilis. All of the tRNA groups investigated expressed different temporal patterns of change in isoaccepting species. Tyrosyl-tRNAs were the earliest to change and were followed by changes in leucyl- and then tryptophanyl-tRNAs. Lysyl-tRNAs were unique in having two times of change: one early and one very late. As an aid in understanding the temporal aspect of tRNA alterations during sporulation, the chromatographic profiles of aminoacyl tRNAs from an early blocked asporogenous mutant were studied. The asporogenous mutant used was blocked at the axial filament stage, stage 0 of sporulation. Nevertheless, those tRNAs which showed differences between the spore and cells in exponential growth exhibited similar changes in the asporogenous mutant after 24 h of growth. The data suggest that several tRNA changes occur during development in B. subtilis but that the events leading to these changes are either independent of, or occur before, stage 0 of sporulation, except in the case of lysyl-tRNA.

Control of arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: role of arginyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase in repression

The physiological role of arginyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (Arg-tRNA) synthetase (E.C. 6.1.1.13, arginine: RNA ligase adenosine monophosphate) in repression of arginine biosynthetic enzymes was examined. Mutants with nonrepressible synthesis of arginine biosynthetic enzymes were isolated from various strains of Escherichia coli by resistance to growth inhibition by canavanine, an arginine analogue. These mutants possessed reduced Arg-tRNA synthetase activities which were qualitatively different from the synthetase activity of the wild type. The mutant enzymes exhibited turnover in vivo and were less stable in vitro than the wild type at both 4 C and 40 C; they possessed different affinities for both arginine and canavanine as measured by the three common assay systems for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Furthermore, in one case it was shown that (i) the mutant possesed unaltered uptake of arginine, and (ii) that the mutant possessed diminished ability to incorporate canavanine into proteins and to attach canavanine to tRNA. These observations suggested that the mutation to canavanine resistance involved a structural change in Arg-tRNA synthetase. Likewise, the results of genetic experiments suggested that the mutants differed from the wild-type strain at only one locus, and that this lies in the region of the chromosomes that includes a structural gene for Arg-tRNA synthetase. It appears that Arg-tRNA synthetase may be involved in some way in repression by arginine of its own biosynthetic enzymes.

Synthesis of stable RNA in stringent Escherichia coli cells in the absence of charged transfer RNA

It has been possible to demonstrate the complete absence of either charged tRNA(Glu) or charged tRNA(Val) at 42 degrees by the use of two stringent strains of E. coli, one temperature-sensitive for glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and the other temperature-sensitive for valyl-tRNA synthetase. In both strains, stable RNA synthesis ceases, and guanosine tetraphosphate accumulates upon incubation at the nonpermissive temperature. Unique among a series of antibiotics tested, only tetracycline was able to stimulate stable RNA synthesis and to cause disappearance of the guanosine nucleotide. In this regard tetracycline and the "relaxed" gene product appear to be analogous.

Isolation and characterization of a regulatory mutant of an aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase in Escherichia coli K-12

From Escherichia coli strain K28, which is temperature sensitive for growth because of a mutation in its seryl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase gene (serS), temperature-resistant mutants were selected which were found to have a fivefold higher level of seryl-tRNA synthetase than the parent strain. The "high-level" character was found to be genetically stable and is due to a mutation in a locus denoted serO. This locus was found to be very closely linked to serS on the genetic map, and the relative gene order was concluded to be serS-serO-serC. In a serO(-) strain, the normal dependence of seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) activity on changes of exogenous serine concentration was not observed. In a stable heterozygous merodiploid, the serO(-) mutation is still expressed, i.e., it is cis dominant. These results strongly suggest that serO is an operator site involved in the control of the serS gene.

Relationship between methionyl transfer ribonucleic acid cellular content and synthesis of methionine enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Derepression of some methionine biosynthetic enzymes (methionine group I enzymes) obtained in methionine limitation has been found to be accompanied by a significant lack of in vivo charging of bulk methionine transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA(Met)) and in addition by a decreased rate of synthesis of all tRNAs. Under the same conditions, methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MTS) was derepressed rather than repressed. These results are in agreement with those previously published based on studies of a mutant with an impaired MTS (5) and reinforce the idea that the rate of synthesis of methionine group I enzymes can be related to the total content of methionyl (Met)-tRNA (Met) per cell. They also render unlikely that MTS could be a constituent of the regulatory signal.

Control of arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: characterization of arginyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase mutants

The arginyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (Arg-tRNA) synthetase (EC 6.1.1.13, arginine: RNA ligase adenosine monophosphate) mutants, exhibiting nonrepressible synthesis of arginine by exogenous arginine, were employed in studies of several biochemical properties. Two of these mutants possessed Arg-tRNA synthetases with a reduced affinity for arginine, and this enzyme of another mutant had a reduced affinity for arginine-tRNA (tRNA(arg)). The mutant possessing an Arg-tRNA synthetase with an altered K(m) for tRNA(arg) was found to have reduced in vivo aminoacylation of two of the five isoaccepting species of tRNA(arg) and complete absence of aminoacylation of one of the isoaccepting species.

A stopped-flow apparatus with light-scattering detection and its application to biochemical reactions

A stopped-flow apparatus utilizing light-scattering for following the progress of a reaction is described. The method is applicable to all reactions that result in a significant change of the average molecular weight. It was possible due to several modifications of a conventional stopped-flow system to obtain a sensitivity comparable to that of commercial instruments for static light-scattering measurements. Experiments on three reactions are reported: association and dissociation of mercury ligands with DNA, dissociation of the dimers of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and complex formation of tRNA(Ser) (yeast) with the cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. The changes in the intensities of the scattered light are calculated and compared with the measured amplitudes.