Amino Acid Incorporation and Aminoacyl Transfer in an Insect Pupal System

Cell-free translation in lysates from Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) cells

1. Conditions for in vitro translation of mRNA in cell-free extracts from cultured Spodoptera frugiperda cells were defined. 2. Incorporation of [35S]methionine into acid-precipitable material increased for approximately 1 hr, and was sensitive to the protein synthesis inhibitors pactamycin and cycloheximide. 3. Micrococcal nuclease-treated lysate, primed with purified rabbit globin mRNA, synthesized a major protein with the size of full length globin, indicating that the lysate supported correct initiation and elongation of polypeptides.

Protein synthesis by a cell-free preparation from the bird malaria, Plasmodium lophurae

Cytoplasmic polyribosomes were isolated from the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium lophurae by lysis with 0.15% Triton X-100 followed by high speed centrifugation through a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Polyribosomes were protected from nuclease degradation using 100 mug/ml heparin or 50 mug/ml dextran sulfate. Cell-free incorporation of radioisotope-labeled amino acids required a pH 5 fraction (duck reticulocyte), Mg2+, and an energy-generating system. The protein synthesizing system was stimulated by the addition of polyuridylic acid. Optimum conditions for protein synthesis by the plasmodial system are described. The effects of drugs on the cell-free protein synthesizing system using duck reticulocyte and plasmodial ribosomes are reported.

Aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases from cell-free extract of Plasmodium berghei

Aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases for leucine tyrosine, histidine, valine, proline, threonine, and lysine were obtainnned from cell-free extract of Plasmodium berghei. The leucyl-tRNA synthetase cane charge tRNA from liver or Escherichia coli with leucine-c(14), liver tRNA being a better substrate. The amount of aminoacylation increses linerly with respect to the quantity of tRNA added from either source and is dependent on the amount of enzyme added. The rate of aminoacylation is constant for 10 minutes and then decreases. It is enhanced by polyvinylsulfate. One-tenth millimoler pyrimethamine, hydroxystilbamidine, quinacrine, and acriflavine inhibited the formation of C(14)-valyl-tRNA. Species specificity between tRNA and its charging enzyme with respect to the recognition site is discussed.