Different effects of streptomycin on the ribosomes from sensitive and resistant mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardi

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of ribosomal proteins from streptomycin-sensitive and streptomycin-resistant mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardi

Ribosomal proteins from three mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardi were analysed and compared by one-dimensional and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. One mutant was streptomycin-sensitive the other two were streptomycin-resistant, one with a Mendelian the other with a non-Mendelian pattern of inheritance. In the 30-S subunits of chloroplast ribosomes approximately 25 proteins are found and in the 50-S subunits 34 proteins. The 40-S subunits of cytoplasmic ribosomes contain about 31 proteins and the 60-S subunits 44 proteins. The molecular weights of most proteins in all subunits are in the range of 10 000 to 35 000. However, the 60-S subunits contain in addition a protein of molecular weight 50 000 and the 30-S subunits show 6-7 bands of molecular weights from 50 000 to 83 000. The proteins of the cytoplasmic 80-S ribosomes or of their subunits from all three mutants are electrophoretically identical. The proteins of the 70-S organellar ribosomes and both of their subunits show distinct differences between the three strains. Our results indicate that organellar ribosomal proteins are in part controlled by nuclear DNA and in part by organellar DNA.

Localization of five antibiotic resistances at the subunit level in chloroplast ribosomes of Chlamydomonas

The chloroplast ribosomes from five antibiotic resistant strains of Chlamydomonas, each carrying one mutant gene mapping in chloroplast DNA, have been shown to be resistant to the corresponding antibiotic in a poly(U)-directed amino-acid incorporating assay system. The alteration conferring resistance was localized to the 30S subunit in ribosomes from streptomycin, neamine, and spectinomycin resistant strains, and to the 50S subunit in ribosomes from cleocin and carbomycin resistant strains. Spectinomycin resistant ribosomes showed no cross-resistance to any other drugs, but limited cross-resistance was noted with the other mutant ribosomes. The similarity between these findings and results reported by others with bacterial ribosomes supports our hypothesis that at least some chloroplast ribosomal proteins are coded by genes in chloroplast DNA.