Chloramphenicol-induced changes in the synthesis of ribosomal, transfer, and messenger ribonucleic acids in Escherichia coli B/r

tRNAs Are Stable After All: Pitfalls in Quantification of tRNA from Starved Escherichia coli Cultures Exposed by Validation of RNA Purification Methods

tRNAs and ribosomal RNAs are often considered stable RNAs. In contrast to this view, we recently proposed that tRNAs are degraded during amino acid starvation and drug-induced transcription inhibition. However, reevaluation of our experimental approach revealed that common RNA extraction methods suffer from alarming extraction and size biases that can lead to gross underestimation of RNA levels in starved Escherichia coli populations. Quantification of tRNAs suffers additional biases due to differing fractions of tRNAs with base modifications in growing versus starved bacteria. Applying an improved methodology, we measured tRNA levels after starvation for amino acids, glucose, phosphate, or ammonium and transcription inhibition by rifampicin. We report that tRNA levels remain largely unaffected in all tested conditions, including several days of starvation. This confirms that tRNAs are remarkably stable RNAs and serves as a cautionary tale about quantification of RNA from cells cultured outside the steady-state growth regime. rRNA, conversely, is extensively degraded during starvation. Thus, E. coli downregulates the translation machinery in response to starvation by reducing the ribosome pool through rRNA degradation, while a high concentration of tRNAs available to supply amino acids to the remaining ribosomes is maintained. IMPORTANCE We show that E. coli tRNAs are remarkably stable during several days of nutrient starvation, although rRNA is degraded extensively under these conditions. The levels of these two major RNA classes are considered to be strongly coregulated at the level of transcription. We demonstrate that E. coli can control the ratio of tRNAs per ribosome under starvation by means of differential degradation rates. The question of tRNA stability in stressed E. coli cells has become subject to debate. Our in-depth analysis of RNA quantification methods reveals hidden technical pitfalls at every step of the analysis, from RNA extraction to target detection and normalization. Most importantly, starved E. coli populations were more resilient to RNA extraction than unstarved populations. The current results underscore that the seemingly trivial task of quantifying an abundant RNA species is not straightforward for cells cultured outside the exponential growth regime.

Medium-dependent control of the bacterial growth rate

By combining results from previous studies of nutritional up-shifts we here re-investigate how bacteria adapt to different nutritional environments by adjusting their macromolecular composition for optimal growth. We demonstrate that, in contrast to a commonly held view the macromolecular composition of bacteria does not depend on the growth rate as an independent variable, but on three factors: (i) the genetic background (i.e. the strain used), (ii) the physiological history of the bacteria used for inoculation of a given growth medium, and (iii) the kind of nutrients in the growth medium. These factors determine the ribosome concentration and the average rate of protein synthesis per ribosome, and thus the growth rate. Immediately after a nutritional up-shift, the average number of ribosomes in the bacterial population increases exponentially with time at a rate which eventually is attained as the final post-shift growth rate of all cell components. After a nutritional up-shift from one minimal medium to another minimal medium of higher nutritional quality, ribosome and RNA polymerase syntheses are co-regulated and immediately increase by the same factor equal to the increase in the final growth rate. However, after an up-shift from a minimal medium to a medium containing all 20 amino acids, RNA polymerase and ribosome syntheses are no longer coregulated; a smaller rate of synthesis of RNA polymerase is compensated by a gradual increase in the fraction of free RNA polymerase, possibly due to a gradual saturation of mRNA promoters. We have also analyzed data from a recent publication, in which it was concluded that the macromolecular composition in terms of RNA/protein and RNA/DNA ratios is solely determined by the effector molecule ppGpp. Our analysis indicates that this is true only in special cases and that, in general, medium adaptation also depends on factors other than ppGpp.

Identification of the sites of action of SrmB, a DEAD-box RNA helicase involved in Escherichia coli ribosome assembly

DEAD-box RNA-dependent ATPases are ubiquitous enzymes that participate in nearly all processes involving RNA, but their detailed molecular functions remain generally unknown. SrmB, one of the five Escherichia coli DEAD-box proteins, participates in the assembly of the large ribosomal subunit notably by facilitating the incorporation of L13, one of the ribosomal proteins that bind 23S rRNA earliest. Previously, we showed that SrmB is tethered to nascent ribosome through interactions with L4, L24 and the region from domain I of 23S rRNA that binds them. To identify the sites of action of SrmB, we have characterized rRNA mutations that bypass SrmB requirement. Five of them affect the same position from two repeated heptanucleotides in domain II of 23S rRNA, whereas two others affect a complementary hexanucleotide in 5S rRNA. Thus the sites of action of SrmB differ from its tethering site. In the mature ribosome, one of the heptanucleotides participates in a highly compact structure that contacts L13, the '1024 G-ribo wrench'. In addition, we have observed that the assembly defect of ΔsrmB cells worsens as rRNA synthesis increases. Based on these results, we propose two non-exclusive scenarios for the role of SrmB in ribosome assembly.

Ribosome degradation in growing bacteria

Ribosomes are large ribozymes that synthesize all cellular proteins. As protein synthesis is rate-limiting for bacterial growth and ribosomes can comprise a large portion of the cellular mass, elucidation of ribosomal turnover is important to the understanding of cellular physiology. Although ribosomes are widely believed to be stable in growing cells, this has never been rigorously tested, owing to the lack of a suitable experimental system in commonly used bacterial model organisms. Here, we develop an experimental system to directly measure ribosomal stability in Escherichia coli. We show that (i) ribosomes are stable when cells are grown at a constant rate in the exponential phase; (ii) more than half of the ribosomes made during exponential growth are degraded during slowing of culture growth preceding the entry into stationary phase; and (iii) ribosomes are stable for many hours in the stationary phase. Ribosome degradation occurs in growing cultures that contain almost no dead cells and coincides with a reduction of comparable magnitude in the cellular RNA concentration.

Overexpression of mouse estrogen receptor-β decreases but its transactivation and ligand binding domains increase the growth characteristics of E. coli

Escherichia coli is one of the most common and widely used prokaryotic hosts for the expression of recombinant proteins. The overexpression of recombinant proteins occasionally increases bacterial growth but sometimes reduces it and becomes lethal to the host cells. Here, we report the overexpression of mouse ER-β and its domains in the prokaryotic expression system and its opposite effect on the growth characteristics of E. coli. ER-β protein was immunologically detected as a 53 kDa his-tag protein in the pellet of the bacterial lysate. Its overexpression, as reflected by the total protein content and expression pattern, resulted in the decrease of bacterial growth. However, the overexpression of ER-β transactivation domain (TAD) using pIVEX and ligand binding domain (LBD) using pRSETA in E. coli BL21 (DE3) show opposite pattern. TAD was immunologically detected as 20 kDa and LBD as 22 kDa protein in the supernatant of the bacterial lysate and their overexpression increased the bacterial growth.

An Arabidopsis pentatricopeptide repeat protein, SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION7, is required for FtsH-mediated chloroplast biogenesis

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) yellow variegated2 (var2) mutant has green- and white-sectored leaves due to loss of VAR2, a subunit of the chloroplast FtsH protease/chaperone complex. Suppressor screens are a valuable tool to gain insight into VAR2 function and the mechanism of var2 variegation. Here, we report the molecular characterization of 004-003, a line in which var2 variegation is suppressed. We found that the suppression phenotype in this line is caused by lack of a chloroplast pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein that we named SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION7 (SVR7). PPR proteins contain tandemly repeated PPR motifs that bind specific RNAs, and they are thought to be central regulators of chloroplast and mitochondrial nucleic acid metabolism in plants. The svr7 mutant has defects in chloroplast ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing that are different from those in other svr mutants, and these defects are correlated with reductions in the accumulation of some chloroplast proteins, directly or indirectly. We also found that whereas var2 displays a leaf variegation phenotype at 22°C, it has a pronounced chlorosis phenotype at 8°C that is correlated with defects in chloroplast rRNA processing and a drastic reduction in chloroplast protein accumulation. Surprisingly, the cold-induced phenotype of var2 cannot be suppressed by svr7. Our results strengthen the previously established linkage between var2 variegation and chloroplast rRNA processing/chloroplast translation, and they also point toward the possibility that VAR2 mediates different activities in chloroplast biogenesis at normal and chilling temperatures.

Inhibition of bacterial ribosome assembly: a suitable drug target?

The assembly of bacterial ribosomes is viewed with increasing interest as a potential target for new antibiotics. The in vivo synthesis and assembly of ribosomes are briefly reviewed here, highlighting the many ways in which assembly can be perturbed. The process is compared with the model in vitro process from which much of our knowledge is derived. The coordinate synthesis of the ribosomal components is essential for their ordered and efficient assembly; antibiotics interfere with this coordination and therefore affect assembly. It has also been claimed that the binding of antibiotics to nascent ribosomes prevents their assembly. These two contrasting models of antibiotic action are compared and evaluated. Finally, the suitability and tractability of assembly as a drug target are assessed.

Killer and protective ribosomes

In prokaryotes, translation influences mRNA decay. The breakdown of most Escherichia coli mRNAs is initiated by RNase E, a 5'-dependent endonuclease. Some mRNAs are protected by ribosomes even if these are located far upstream of cleavage sites ("protection at a distance"), whereas others require direct shielding of these sites. I argue that these situations reflect different modes of interaction of RNase E with mRNAs. Protection at a distance is most impressive in Bacilli, where ribosomes can protect kilobases of unstable downstream sequences. I propose that this protection reflects the role in mRNA decay of RNase J1, a 5'-->3' exonuclease with no E. coli equivalent. Finally, recent years have shown that besides their protective role, ribosomes can also cleave their mRNA under circumstances that cause ribosome stalling. The endonuclease associated with this "killing" activity, which has a eukaryotic counterpart ("no-go decay"), is not characterized; it may be borne by the distressed ribosome itself.

Erythromycin- and chloramphenicol-induced ribosomal assembly defects are secondary effects of protein synthesis inhibition

Several protein synthesis inhibitors are known to inhibit ribosome assembly. This may be a consequence of direct binding of the antibiotic to ribosome precursor particles, or it could result indirectly from loss of coordination in the production of ribosomal components due to the inhibition of protein synthesis. Here we demonstrate that erythromycin and chloramphenicol, inhibitors of the large ribosomal subunit, affect the assembly of both the large and small subunits. Expression of a small erythromycin resistance peptide acting in cis on mature ribosomes relieves the erythromycin-mediated assembly defect for both subunits. Erythromycin treatment of bacteria expressing a mixture of erythromycin-sensitive and -resistant ribosomes produced comparable effects on subunit assembly. These results argue in favor of the view that erythromycin and chloramphenicol affect the assembly of the large ribosomal subunit indirectly.

Mutations in SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION1, a factor required for normal chloroplast translation, suppress var2-mediated leaf variegation in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis thaliana yellow variegated2 (var2) mutant is variegated due to lack of a chloroplast FtsH-like metalloprotease (FtsH2/VAR2). We have generated suppressors of var2 variegation to gain insight into factors and pathways that interact with VAR2 during chloroplast biogenesis. Here, we describe two such suppressors. Suppression of variegation in the first line, TAG-FN, was caused by disruption of the nuclear gene (SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION1 [SVR1]) for a chloroplast-localized homolog of pseudouridine (Psi) synthase, which isomerizes uridine to Psi in noncoding RNAs. svr1 single mutants were epistatic to var2, and they displayed a phenotypic syndrome that included defects in chloroplast rRNA processing, reduced chloroplast translation, reduced chloroplast protein accumulation, and elevated chloroplast mRNA levels. In the second line (TAG-IE), suppression of variegation was caused by a lesion in SVR2, the gene for the ClpR1 subunit of the chloroplast ClpP/R protease. Like svr1, svr2 was epistatic to var2, and clpR1 mutants had a phenotype that resembled svr1. We propose that an impairment of chloroplast translation in TAG-FN and TAG-IE decreased the demand for VAR2 activity during chloroplast biogenesis and that this resulted in the suppression of var2 variegation. Consistent with this hypothesis, var2 variegation was repressed by chemical inhibitors of chloroplast translation. In planta mutagenesis revealed that SVR1 not only played a role in uridine isomerization but that its physical presence was necessary for proper chloroplast rRNA processing. Our data indicate that defects in chloroplast rRNA processing are a common, but not universal, molecular phenotype associated with suppression of var2 variegation.

Overproduction of mouse estrogen receptor alpha-ligand binding domain decreases bacterial growth

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most widely used prokaryotic host system for the synthesis of recombinant proteins. The overproduction of recombinant proteins is sometimes lethal to the host cells. In the present study, we expressed the ligand binding domain (LBD) of mouse estrogen receptor alpha (mouse ERalpha) using an expression vector (pIVEX) in E. coli BL21(DE3) and examined the effect of production of this protein on bacterial growth. The expressed protein was immunologically detected as a 30 kD histidine-tagged protein in the soluble part of the bacterial lysate. The overproduction of mouse ERalpha-LBD, as reflected by total protein content and expression pattern, resulted in the decrease of bacterial growth.

Temperature sensitivity caused by mutant release factor 1 is suppressed by mutations that affect 16S rRNA maturation

To study the effect of slow termination on the protein synthesizing machinery, we isolated suppressors to a temperature-sensitive release factor 1 (RF1). Of 26 independent clones, five complementation groups have been identified, two of which are presented here. The first mutation disrupts a base pair in the transcription terminator stem for the rplM-rpsI operon, which encodes ribosomal proteins L13 and S9. We have found that this leads to readthrough of the terminator and that lower levels of transcript (compared to the results seen with the wild type) are found in the cell. This probably leads to decreased expression of the two proteins. The second mutation is a small deletion of the yrdC open reading frame start site, and it is not likely that the protein is expressed. Both mutant strains show an increased accumulation of 17S rRNA (immature 16S rRNA). Maturation of 16S rRNA is dependent on proper assembly of the ribosomal proteins, a process that is disturbed when proteins are missing. The function of the YrdC protein is not known, but it is able to bind to double-stranded RNA; therefore, we suggest that it is an assembly factor important for 30S subunit biogenesis. On the basis of our findings, we propose that lesser amounts of S9 or a lack of YrdC causes the maturation defect. We have shown that as a consequence of the maturation defect, fewer 70S ribosomes and polysomes are formed. This and other results suggest that it is the lowered concentration of functional ribosomes that suppresses the temperature sensitivity caused by the mutant RF1.

NTP-sensing by rRNA promoters in Escherichia coli is direct

We showed previously that rrn P1 promoters require unusually high concentrations of the initiating nucleoside triphosphates (ATP or GTP, depending on the promoter) for maximal transcription in vitro. We proposed that this requirement for high initiating NTP concentrations contributes to control of the rrn P1 promoters from the seven Escherichia coli rRNA operons. However, the previous studies did not prove that variation in NTP concentration affects rrn P1 promoter activity directly in vivo. Here, we create conditions in vivo in which ATP and GTP concentrations are altered in opposite directions relative to one another, and we show that transcription from rrn P1 promoters that initiate with either ATP or GTP follows the concentration of the initiating NTP for that promoter. These results demonstrate that the effect of initiating NTP concentration on rrn P1 promoter activity in vivo is direct. As predicted by a model in which homeostatic control of rRNA transcription results, at least in part, from sensing of NTP concentrations by rrn P1 promoters, we show that inhibition of protein synthesis results in an increase in ATP concentration and a corresponding increase in transcription from rrnB P1. We conclude that translation is a major consumer of purine NTPs, and that NTP-sensing by rrn P1 promoters serves as a direct regulatory link between translation and ribosome synthesis.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis study of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus thermotolerance

The response of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus cells to heat stress was studied by use of a chemically defined medium. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis was used to correlate the kinetics of heat shock protein (HSP) induction with cell recovery from heat injury. We demonstrated that enhanced viability, observed after 10 min at 65 degrees C, resulted from the overexpression of HSP and from mechanisms not linked to protein synthesis. In order to analyze the thermoadaptation mechanisms involved, thermoresistant variants were selected. These variants showed enhanced constitutive tolerance toward heat shock. However, contrary to the wild-type strain, these variants were poorly protected after osmotic or heat pretreatments. This result suggests that above a certain threshold, cells reach a maximum level of protection that cannot be easily exceeded. A comparison of protein patterns showed that the variants were able to induce more rapidly their adaptive mechanisms than the original strain. In particular, the variants were able to express constitutively more HSP, leading to the higher level of thermoprotection observed. This is the first report of the study by 2-DE of the heat stress response in L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

Autoregulation allows Escherichia coli RNase E to adjust continuously its synthesis to that of its substrates

The Escherichia coli endonuclease RNase E plays a key role in rRNA maturation and mRNA decay. In particular, it controls the decay of its own mRNA by cleaving it within the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), thereby autoregulating its synthesis. Here, we report that, when the synthesis of an RNase E substrate is artificially induced to high levels in vivo, both the rne mRNA concentration and RNase E synthesis increase abruptly and then decrease to a steady-state level that remains higher than in the absence of induction. Using rne-lacZ fusions that retain or lack the rne 5'UTR, we show that these variations reflect a transient mRNA stabilization mediated by the rne 5'UTR. Finally, by putting RNase E synthesis under the control of an IPTG-controlled promoter, we show that a similar, rne 5'UTR-mediated mRNA stabilization can result from a shortage of RNase E. We conclude that the burst in substrate synthesis has titrated RNase E, stabilizing the rne mRNA by protecting its 5'UTR. However, this stabilization is self-correcting, because it allows the RNase E pool to expand until its mRNA is destabilized again. Thus, autoregulation allows RNase E to adjust its synthesis to that of its substrates, a behaviour that may be common among autoregulated proteins. Incidentally, this adjustment cannot occur when translation is blocked, and we argue that the global mRNA stabilization observed under these conditions originates in part from this defect.

Regulation of rRNA transcription correlates with nucleoside triphosphate sensing

We have previously shown that the activity of the Escherichia coli rRNA promoter rrnB P1 in vitro depends on the concentration of the initiating nucleotide, ATP, and can respond to changes in ATP pools in vivo. We have proposed that this nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) sensing might contribute to regulation of rRNA transcription. To test this model, we have measured the ATP requirements for transcription from 11 different rrnB P1 core promoter mutants in vitro and compared them with the regulatory responses of the same promoters in vivo. The seven rrnB P1 variants that required much lower ATP concentrations than the wild-type promoter for efficient transcription in vitro were defective for response to growth rate changes in vivo (growth rate-dependent regulation). In contrast, the four variants requiring high ATP concentrations in vitro (like the wild-type promoter) were regulated with the growth rate in vivo. We also observed a correlation between NTP sensing in vitro and the response of the promoters in vivo to deletion of the fis gene (an example of homeostatic control), although this relationship was not as tight as for growth rate-dependent regulation. We conclude that the kinetic features responsible for the high ATP concentration dependence of the rrnB P1 promoter in vitro are responsible, at least in part, for the promoter's regulation in vivo, consistent with the model in which rrnB P1 promoter activity can be regulated by changes in NTP pools in vivo (or by hypothetical factors that work at the same kinetic steps that make the promoter sensitive to NTPs).

In vivo selection of functional ribosomes with variations in the rRNA-binding site of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein S8: evolutionary implications

The highly conserved nature of rRNA sequences throughout evolution allows these molecules to be used to build philogenic trees of different species. It is unknown whether the stability of specific interactions and structural features of rRNA reflects an optimal adaptation to a functional task or an evolutionary trap. In the work reported here, we have applied an in vivo selection strategy to demonstrate that unnatural sequences do work as a functional replacement of the highly conserved binding site of ribosomal protein S8. However, growth competition experiments performed between Escherichia coli isolates containing natural and unnatural S8-binding sites showed that the fate of each isolate depended on the growth condition. In exponentially growing cells, one unnatural variant was found to be equivalent to wild type in competition experiments performed in rich media. In culture conditions leading to slow growth, however, cells containing the wild-type sequence were the ultimate winner of the competition, emphasizing that the wild-type sequence is, in fact, the most fit solution for the S8-binding site.

Activities of constitutive promoters in Escherichia coli

The in vivo activities of seven constitutive promoters in Escherichia coli have been determined as functions of growth rate in wild-type relA+ spoT+ strains with normal levels of guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and in ppGpp-deficient DeltarelADeltaspoT derivatives. The promoters include (i) the spc ribosomal protein operon promotor Pspc; (ii) the beta-lactamase gene promotor Pblaof plasmid pBR322; (iii) the PLpromoter of phage lambda; (iv) and (v) the replication control promoters PRNAIand PRNAIIof plasmid pBR322; and (vi) and (vii) the P1 and P2 promoters of the rrnB ribosomal RNA operon. Each strain carried an operon fusion consisting of one of the respective promoter regions linked to lacZ and recombined into the chromosome at the mal locus of a lac deletion strain. The amount of 5'-terminal lacZ mRNA and of beta-galactosidase activity expressed from these promoters were determined by standard hybridization or enzyme activity assays, respectively. In addition, DNA, RNA and protein measurements were used to obtain information about gene dosage, rRNA synthesis and translation rates. By combining lacZ mRNA hybridization data with gene dosage and rRNA synthesis data, the absolute activity of the different promoters, in transcripts/minute per promoter, was determined. In ppGpp-proficient (relA+ spoT+) strains, the respective activities of rrnB P1 and P2 increased 40 and fivefold with increasing growth rate between 0.7 and 3.0 doublings/hour. The activities of Pspc, PL, Pbla, and PRNAIincreased two- to threefold and reached a maximum at growth rates above 2.0 doublings/hour. In contrast, PRNAIIactivity decreased threefold over this range of growth rates. In ppGpp-deficient (DeltarelA DeltaspoT) bacterial strains, the activities of rrnB P1 and P2 promoters both increased about twofold between 1.6 and 3.0 doublings/hour, whereas the activities of Pspc, PL, Pbla, and PRNAI, and PRNAIIwere about constant. To explain these observations, we suggest that the cellular concentration of free RNA polymerase increases with increasing growth rate; for saturation the P1 and P2 rRNA promoters require a high RNA polymerase concentration that is approached only at the highest growth rates, whereas the other promoters are saturated at lower polymerase concentrations achieved at intermediate growth rates. In addition, the data indicate that the respective rrnB P1 and PRNAIIpromoters were under negative and positive control by ppGpp. This caused a reduced activity of rrnB P1 and an increased activity of PRNAIIduring slow growth in wild-type (relA+ spoT+) relative to ppGpp-deficient (DeltarelA DeltaspoT) bacterial strains.

Translation inhibitors stabilize Escherichia coli mRNAs independently of ribosome protection

Translation inhibitors such as chloramphenicol in prokaryotes or cycloheximide in eukaryotes stabilize many or most cellular mRNAs. In Escherichia coli, this stabilization is ascribed generally to the shielding of mRNAs by stalled ribosomes. To evaluate this interpretation, we examine here how inhibitors affect the stabilities of two untranslated RNAs, i.e., an engineered lacZ mRNA lacking a ribosome binding site, and a small regulatory RNA, RNAI. Whether they block elongation or initiation, all translation inhibitors tested stabilized these RNAs, indicating that stabilization does not necessarily reflect changes in packing or activity of translating ribosomes. Moreover, both the initial RNase E-dependent cleavage of RNAI and lacZ mRNA and the subsequent attack of RNAI by polynucleotide phosphorylase and poly(A)-polymerase were slowed. Among various possible mechanisms for this stabilization, we discuss in particular a passive model. When translation is blocked, rRNA synthesis is known to increase severalfold and rRNA becomes unstable. Meanwhile, the pools of RNase E and polynucleotide phosphorylase, which, in growing cells, are limited because these RNases autoregulate their own synthesis, cannot expand. The processing/degradation of newly synthesized rRNA would then titrate these RNases, causing bulk mRNA stabilization.

mioC transcription, initiation of replication, and the eclipse in Escherichia coli

The potential role of mioC transcription as a negative regulator of initiation of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli was evaluated. When initiation was aligned by a shift of dnaC2(Ts) mutants to nonpermissive temperature (40 degrees C), mioC transcript levels measured at the 5' end or reading through oriC disappeared within one mass doubling. Upon return to permissive temperature (30 degrees C), the transcripts reappeared coordinately about 15 min after the first synchronized initiation and then declined sharply again 10 min later, just before the second initiation. Although these observations were consistent with the idea that mioC transcription might have to be terminated prior to initiation, it was found that the interval between initiations at permissive temperature, i.e., the eclipse period, was not influenced by the time required to shut down mioC transcription, since the eclipse was the same for chromosomes and minichromosomes which lacked mioC transcription. This finding did not, in itself, rule out the possibility that mioC transcription must be terminated prior to initiation of replication, since it might normally be shut off before initiation, and never be limiting, even during the eclipse. Therefore, experiments were performed to determine whether the continued presence of mioC transcription during the process of initiation altered the timing of initiation. It was found that minichromosomes possessing a deletion in the DnaA box upstream of the promoter transcribed mioC continuously and replicated with the same timing as those that either shut down expression prior to initiation or lacked expression entirely. It was further shown that mioC transcription was present throughout the induction of initiation by addition of chloramphenicol to a dnaA5(Ts) mutant growing at a semipermissive temperature. Thus, transcription through oriC emanating from the mioC gene promoter is normally inhibited prior to initiation of replication by the binding of DnaA protein, but replication can initiate with the proper timing even when transcription is not shut down; i.e., mioC does not serve as a negative regulator of initiation. It is proposed, however, that the reappearance and subsequent disappearance of mioC transcription during a 10-min interval at the end of the eclipse serves as an index of the minimum time required for the establishment of active protein-DNA complexes at the DnaA boxes in the fully methylated origin region of the chromosome. On this basis, the eclipse constitutes the time for methylation of the newly formed DNA strands (15 to 20 min at 30 degrees C) followed by the time for DnaA protein to bind and activate oriC for replication (10 min).

Control of rRNA transcription in Escherichia coli

The control of rRNA synthesis in response to both extra- and intracellular signals has been a subject of interest to microbial physiologists for nearly four decades, beginning with the observations that Salmonella typhimurium cells grown on rich medium are larger and contain more RNA than those grown on poor medium. This was followed shortly by the discovery of the stringent response in Escherichia coli, which has continued to be the organism of choice for the study of rRNA synthesis. In this review, we summarize four general areas of E. coli rRNA transcription control: stringent control, growth rate regulation, upstream activation, and anti-termination. We also cite similar mechanisms in other bacteria and eukaryotes. The separation of growth rate-dependent control of rRNA synthesis from stringent control continues to be a subject of controversy. One model holds that the nucleotide ppGpp is the key effector for both mechanisms, while another school holds that it is unlikely that ppGpp or any other single effector is solely responsible for growth rate-dependent control. Recent studies on activation of rRNA synthesis by cis-acting upstream sequences has led to the discovery of a new class of promoters that make contact with RNA polymerase at a third position, called the UP element, in addition to the well-known -10 and -35 regions. Lastly, clues as to the role of antitermination in rRNA operons have begun to appear. Transcription complexes modified at the antiterminator site appear to elongate faster and are resistant to the inhibitory effects of ppGpp during the stringent response.

Gratuitous overexpression of genes in Escherichia coli leads to growth inhibition and ribosome destruction

We attempted to test the idea that the relative abundance of each individual tRNA isoacceptor in Escherichia coli can be altered by varying its cognate codon concentration. In order to change the overall codon composition of the messenger pool, we have expressed in E. coli lacZ with the aid of T7 RNA polymerase so that their respective gene products individually accounted for 30% of the total bacterial protein. Unexpectedly, the maximum expression of either test gene has no specific effect on the relative rates of synthesis of the tRNA species that we studied. Instead, we find that there is a cumulative breakdown of rRNAs, which results in a loss of ribosomes and protein synthetic capacity. After either of the test genes is maximally induced, there is a growing fraction of protein synthesis invested in beta-galactosidase or delta tufB that is matched by a comparable decrease of the fraction of normal protein synthesis. We have also observed enhanced accumulation of two heat shock proteins during overexpression. Finally, after several hours of overexpression of either test protein, the bacteria are no longer viable. These results are relevant to the practical problems of obtaining high expression levels for cloned proteins.

A method for production of 13C/15N double labelled RNA in E. coli, and subsequent in vitro synthesis of ribonucleotide 5' triphosphates

In this paper we describe an enhanced method for the large scale production of high quality 13C/15N labelled NTPs. High amounts of labelled RNA was obtained from E. coli cells grown in 13C/15N enriched medium and treated with chloramphenicol. Total RNA was extracted from spheroplasted cells in the presence of SDS and proteinase K and subsequently degraded to NMPs by nuclease P1 and high concentrations of nuclease S1 in a low salt buffer. To avoid non-specific degradation of the RNA, nuclease digestion was performed in a short term reaction on native, not heat-denatured RNA. CMP, AMP, GMP and UMP were chromatographically separated and converted to the corresponding NTPs by a mixture of kinases in the presence of a coupled redox system based on thioredoxin and dithiothreitol. The quality of the 13C/15N labelled NTPs was tested by in vitro transcription.

Effects of growth phase and antibiotics on quantitative DNA/RNA hybridization

Synthetic probes complementary to ribosomal RNA are increasingly used in the detection of bacteria. Many applications, however, require the quantitation of bacteria. We therefore tested the influence of growth phase and representative antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol and gentamycin) on the outcome of DNA/RNA filter hybridization using radiolabelled probes and a multisample digital autoradiograph for quantitative monitoring. Hybridization efficiency seemed influenced by the binding capacity of the membrane, availability of target molecules and physiological growth control. For chloramphenicol the absolute hybridization signal remained constant over the experimental period. Only a slight decrease was found in experiments with gentamycin whereas viable counts dropped 10,000-fold. For ampicillin a decrease in viable counts was paralleled by diminishing signal strengths. Relative signal strengths (counts per viable cell) increased in all experiments with antibiotics. In conclusion; (i) RNA probes seem to detect bacteria even after onset of antimicrobial therapy; (ii) DNA/RNA filter hybridization appears not suitable for accurate quantitation of bacteria.

Inhibition of protein synthesis transiently stimulates initiation of minichromosome replication in Escherichia coli

Replication of oriC-dependent minichromosomes was found to be transiently stimulated when protein synthesis was inhibited by the addition of chloramphenicol. Initiation of replication was also induced by amino acid starvation of relA mutant strains and a nutritional upshift. The results are explained on the basis that these treatments rendered RNA polymerase more available for participation in the initiation process. As a consequence, the oriC duplex may be transcriptionally activated to an open form, a necessary prerequisite for DNA polymerization.

Studies in vivo on Escherichia coli RNA polymerase mutants altered in the stringent response

Previous studies on two Escherichia coli rpoB mutants, carrying single amino acid substitutions at approximate amino acid positions 736 and 906 in the beta subunit, showed that these alterations in the RNA polymerase resulted in an apparent reduced response to valine-induced amino acid starvation in vivo and prevented ppGpp-mediated inhibition of transcriptional initiation at stable RNA promoters in vitro. These observations suggested that the mutations had altered either the ppGpp binding site or the promoter selectivity of the enzyme. The in vivo analysis presented here indicates that these mutants encode an RNA polymerase that responds normally to changes in the level of ppGpp; their apparent relaxedness is due to a reduced accumulation of ppGpp during isoleucine starvation. Thus, there is no indication that the mutations have altered ppGpp binding sites. These observations and the difference between in vitro and in vivo results can be explained by the assumption that the mutations produce an extended ppGpp-dependent pausing of RNA polymerase during the transcription of unstable RNA. Comparison of the vivo and in vitro effects of ppGpp on rrn transcription further suggests that these reflect different phenomena, although in both cases ppGpp inhibits rrn transcription.

Control of the tRNA-tufB operon in Escherichia coli. 1. rRNA gene dosage effects and growth-rate-dependent regulation

'Ribosome feedback' effects on the expression of the genes specifying tRNA and EF-Tu in E. coli have been studied at increased rrnB doses (rRNA gene doses). We confirm previous observations that the introduction into the cell of a multicopy plasmid carrying the rrnB operon reduces the cellular content of most tRNAs, including those encoded by the tRNA-tufB operon, but leaves the 5S rRNA content unaffected. Increase of the dosage of intact, but not of deleted rRNA genes, causes a slight drop in total EF-Tu that can be fully accounted for by a decrease in EF-TuB level. The drop in EF-TuB content (approx. 25%) is much smaller than that in tRNA content (approx. 80%). The synthesis rate of total EF-Tu is hardly affected, indicating that the turnover of EF-Tu has not changed. The ratio of tRNA over tuf RNA synthesis rates remains the same after elevation of rrnB dosage. Considering the large decrease in tRNA content this means that both RNA synthesis rates decrease to approximately the same extent. The relatively small drop in EF-Tu synthesis must be due, therefore, to an enhancement of the number of EF-Tu molecules synthesized per mRNA molecule. Apparently a post-transcriptional mechanism, regulating EF-Tu synthesis, becomes operative under these conditions. Growth-rate-dependent regulation of the tRNA-tufB operon has been studied using lysogens carrying tRNA':lacZ and tRNA-tufB':lacZ operon fusions and a tufB':lacZ' gene fusion. These experiments show that the cellular contents of tRNA, tufB RNA and EF-TuB vary in direct proportion to the growth rate. This indicates that growth rate control of tRNA-tufB operon transcription resembles that of stable RNA operons and not of r-protein operons, and that the read-through of the terminator at the end of the tRNA gene cluster remains unaltered.

Feedback regulation of rRNA synthesis in Escherichia coli. Requirement for initiation factor IF2

It has been shown that the transcription of rRNA in Escherichia coli is feedback-regulated by its own transcription products through a negative feedback loop which appears to require the assembly of rRNA into complete ribosomes. In order to examine whether the feedback loop involves the ribosomes' main function, translation, we have constructed a strain in which the chromosomal copy of infB, encoding IF2, was placed under lac promoter/operator control, and the effects of limitation of translation initiation factor IF2 on the regulation were examined. By varying the concentration of a lac operon inducer, isopropyl thiogalactoside (IPTG), it was possible to vary the cellular concentration of IF2. Under the growth conditions used, decreasing the concentration of IF2 about twofold affected the growth rate only slightly, but further deprivation of IF2 resulted in a significant decrease in growth rate, an increase in RNA content and a large accumulation of non-translating ribosomes. These accumulated ribosomes were apparently unable to cause feedback regulation of rRNA synthesis in the absence of sufficient IF2. When a higher concentration of IPTG was added to these IF2-deficient cells, a rapid increase in the IF2 level and a significant decrease in the rate of RNA accumulation were observed before the new steady-state growth was attained. These results indicate that IF2 apparently is necessary for feedback regulation of stable RNA and imply that ribosomes must enter translation for feedback regulation to occur.

Feedback regulation of rRNA synthesis. A mutational alteration in the anti-Shine-Dalgarno region of the 16 S rRNA gene abolishes regulation

It was shown that induction of rRNA (and ribosome) synthesis from the lambda PL promoter/operator by temperature shift-up causes a repression of rRNA and tRNA synthesis from chromosomal genes. We have carried out experiments using a similar conditional rRNA gene expression system in which a mutational alteration was introduced in the anti-Shine-Dalgarno region at the 3'-end of the 16 S rRNA gene. It was found that the repression observed with the wild-type gene was largely abolished by the mutation. It appears that ribosomes inefficient in translational initiation are unable to cause feedback regulation of rRNA synthesis. It is suggested that the cell regulates rRNA (and tRNA) synthesis by monitoring the production of ribosomes, and that this monitoring is apparently carried out through their activity in the initiation (and perhaps subsequent steps) of translation.

Determination of synthesis rate and lifetime of bacterial mRNAs

A method has been developed to determine the synthesis rate and lifetime of bacterial mRNAs, either bulk mRNA or specific mRNAs, with a minimum of physiological disturbance. The method uses hybridization of pulse-labeled RNA to specific probes followed by an evaluation based on a computer simulation of the labeling kinetics of different classes of RNA. The method was applied to the determination of bulk mRNA in Escherichia coli growing in glucose minimal medium: 60% of the instantaneous rate of RNA synthesis, or 2.3% of the total amount of RNA, was found to be mRNA with an average lifetime of 1.0 +/- 0.2 min (= 0.7 min half-life).

RNA terminating within the E. coli origin of replication: stringent regulation and control by DnaA protein

RNA entering the E. coli replication origin, oriC, in the counterclockwise direction terminates at several sites throughout the origin sequence. The significant finding was that nine clusters of these termination sites are found at the nine clusters of RNA to DNA transitions in oriC. The majority of these transcripts terminates with cytosine. Termination sites are associated with 9 of the 11 GATC sites and all DnaA protein-binding sites. Chloramphenicol-treated cells contain an increased amount of this RNA species, while cells starved for isoleucine have greatly reduced levels, indicating that synthesis of these transcripts is stringently regulated. Both decreased and increased intracellular levels of DnaA protein decrease the fraction of transcription that enters oriC.

Effect of relA function on the replication of plasmid pBR322 in Escherichia coli

Replication of the plasmid pBR322, and the accumulation and life time of its primer transcript, RNAII, and replication inhibitor, RNAI, were measured in an isogenic relA+/relA pair of E. coli strains during exponential growth, or following amino acid starvation, or during treatment with chloramphenicol. (1) The synthesis rates of RNAI and RNAII decreased during inhibition of protein synthesis in either strain, i.e. their promoters are not under stringent control; (2) during amino acid starvation, RNAI and RNAII lifetimes increased in complex, rel-dependent patterns; (3) the changes in RNAI and RNAII synthesis and accumulation had no immediate effect on the rate of plasmid replication; (4) continued plasmid replication requires a protein which is synthesized during amino acid deprivation or treatment with low concentrations of chloramphenicol in relA+, but not in relA bacteria.

Level of rRNA, not tRNA, synthesis controls transcription of rRNA and tRNA operons in Escherichia coli

We have recently proposed a model for the negative feedback control of rRNA and tRNA synthesis in Escherichia coli by products of rRNA operons or their derivatives (e.g., nontranslating ribosomes) (S. Jinks-Robertson, R.L. Gourse, and M. Nomura, Cell 33:865-876, 1983). In this paper, we examined the following questions. (i) Are the spacer tRNAs carried within rRNA operons the products responsible for the regulation of rRNA and tRNA transcription? (ii) Are tRNAs capable of regulating their own syntheses? We measured tRNA accumulations in cells containing plasmids with intact or defective rRNA operons or with tRNA operons. From the results obtained, we conclude that neither the tRNAs encoded within rRNA operons nor the tRNAs encoded in non-rRNA operons are capable of controlling rRNA or tRNA transcription. Therefore, the products responsible for the initial step leading to rRNA and tRNA regulation are rRNAs (or their derivatives).

Regulation of ribosomal RNA promoters with a synthetic lac operator

A synthetic 21-base-pair long DNA fragment containing the central lac operator sequence has been inserted near the initiation point of the cloned Escherichia coli rrnB rRNA promoter P2 in the natural and reverse orientation. RNA synthesis is efficiently repressed in both orientations in lac Iq strains and is induced with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside. When the rrnB promoter P1 is also present, upstream from P2 and the synthetic lac operator, repression of transcription is incomplete. The levels of transcription were measured in vivo, indirectly by the expression of a protein (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase), or directly by the expression of a stable RNA (E. coli 4.5S RNA) in a simple assay involving gel electrophoresis of unlabeled total RNA from E. coli. The rrnB promoter constructions can produce high levels of protein expression as well as high levels of expression of stable RNA.

Carbon starvation and growth rate-dependent regulation of the Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA promoters: differential control of dual promoters

We studied the effects of carbon starvation and of varying the growth rate on the activity of each of the two tandem ribosomal RNA promoters from the rrnA operon of Escherichia coli. The cellular abundance of plasmid-encoded transcripts arising at promoters P1 and P2 and terminating at the ribosomal RNA terminator in promoter-terminator fusions, together with transcript turnover rates, was used to estimate promoter activities. The rate of synthesis of the P1-promoted transcript was found to increase exponentially with growth rate and predominate at fast growth rates. The activity of the downstream promoter (P2) changed only slightly at different growth rates. Upon carbon starvation, little or no activity of the upstream promoter was detectable, while P2 activity persisted. We interpret this to mean that the dual promoters are differentially regulated so as to have separate adaptive and maintenance functions. This model simplifies most features of rRNA regulation known in E. coli.

Correlation between RNA synthesis and ppGpp content in Escherichia coli during temperature shifts

Both a correlation and a lack of correlation between guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) level and RNA accumulation have been reported during temperature shifts of E. coli. We have reexamined these phenomena by measuring the total rate of RNA synthesis. After a temperature upshift (23 degrees to 40 degrees C) of E. coli relA+ and relA1 strains, there is an immediate increase in the rate of RNA synthesis which corresponds with the observed in vitro effects of temperature on RNA synthesis (Mangel 1974; Travers 1974). A subsequent increase in ppGpp level is correlated with a decrease in the rate of RNA synthesis. Conversely, following a temperature downshift (40 degrees to 23 degrees C), both relA+ and relA1 bacteria show an immediate decrease in the rate of RNA synthesis. Subsequently all strains studied decrease ppGpp content and correspondingly increase the rate of RNA synthesis after a downshift. By measuring the rate of RNA synthesis we have separated immediate temperature-induced changes in RNA synthesis, from the apparent effects of ppGpp during temperature shifts. As a result, during temperature upshifts and downshifts of relA+, and relA1 bacteria, an inverse correlation between ppGpp content and the total rate of RNA synthesis does exist. The fact that both relA+ and relA1 strains show similar responses to temperature shifts provides additional evidence for the function of relA-independent basal level ppGpp synthesis in regulating RNA synthesis in E. coli.

Expression of accumulated capacity for initiation of chromosome and minichromosome replication in dnaA mutants of Escherichia coli

Chromosome and minichromosome replication were examined in temperature-sensitive dnaA mutants of Escherichia coli growing at temperatures between permissive and nonpermissive. Periodicities in [14C]thymidine uptake were detected as cultures incubated at intermediate temperatures approached late exponential-early stationary phase of growth. Exposure of the cultures to a nutritional shift-up caused a stimulation of chromosome replication associated with a rapid initiation of new rounds of replication, very similar to that observed after exposure to chloramphenicol. Addition of rifampin also caused a stimulation, but to a much lesser extent. The induced initiations of chromosome replication took place in two waves, as was the case when the cultures were simply shifted to permissive temperature. Minichromosomes were also stimulated to replicate by the addition of chloramphenicol at intermediate temperatures, providing further evidence that the chromosomal region which responded to the chloramphenicol treatment was in the vicinity of oriC. The findings are consistent with the conclusion that the initiations induced by chloramphenicol are consequences of the involvement of the dnaA gene product in a transcriptional step at initiation, as suggested by Orr et al. The results also suggest that the activity of the dnaA gene product is not normally involved in controlling the frequency of initiation of chromosome replication.

A new gene in E. coli RNA synthesis

A novel spontaneous temperature sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli, which stops synthesizing stable RNA and some proteins immediately upon temperature shift from 30 degrees C to 42 degrees C, is described. Stable RNA species are not preferentially degraded in the mutant at the nonpermissive temperature. The guanine polyphosphate compounds, ppGpp (MS1) and pppGpp (MS2), are not produced at 42 degrees C. The mutant strain does not grow at 42 degrees C in either broth or defined minimal medium supplemented with any of a variety of carbon sources. The temperature sensitive mutation in this strain maps between dap A, E and pts I and defines a new locus affecting RNA synthesis in E. coli.

relA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in Escherichia coli

Parameters relating to RNA synthesis were measured after a temperature shift from 30 to 42 degrees C, in a relA+ and relA- isogenic pair of Escherichia coli strains containing a temperature-sensitive valyl tRNA synthetase. The following results were obtained: (i) the rRNA chain growth rate increased 2-fold in both strains; (ii) newly synthesized rRNA became unstable in both strains; (iii) the stable RNA gene activity (rRNA and tRNA, measured as stable RNA synthesis rate relative to the total instantaneous rate of RNA synthesis) decreased 1.7-fold in the relA+ strain and increased 1.9-fold in the relA mutant; and (iv) the RNA polymerase activity (measured by the percentage of total RNA polymerase enzyme active in transcription an any instant) decreased from 20 to 3.6% in the relA+ strain and remained unchanged (or increased at most to 22%) in the relA mutant. It is suggested that both rRNA gene activity and the RNA polymerase activity depend on the intracellular concentration of guanosine tetraphosphate, whereas the altered chain elongation rate and stability of rRNA are temperature or amino acid starvation effects, respectively, without involvement of relA function.

Synthesis and function of ribonucleic acid polymerase and ribosomes in Escherichia coli B/r after a nutritional shift-up

The syntheses of stable ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) and transfer RNA in bacteria depend on the concentration and activity of RNA polymerase and on the fraction of active RNA polymerase synthesizing stable RNA. These parameters were measured in Escherichia coli B/r after a nutritional shift-up from succinate-minimal to glucose-amino acids medium and were found to change in complex patterns during a 1- to 2-h period after the shift-up before reaching a final steady-state level characteristic for the postshift growth medium. The combined effect of these changes was an immediate, one-step increase in the exponential rate of stable RNA synthesis and thus of ribosome synthesis. This suggests that the distribution of transcribing RNA polymerase over ribosomal and nonribosomal genes and the polymerase activity are continuously adjusted during postshift growth to some growth-limiting reaction whose rate increases exponentially. It is proposed that this reaction is the production of amino-acylated transfer RNA and that is exponentially increasing rate results in part from a gradually increasing concentration of aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetases after a shift-up. This idea was tested and is supported by a computer simulation of a nutritional shift-up.

How partially inhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol affect the growth of Escherichia coli

In the presence of up to 6 microM chloramphenicol, balanced exponential growth of Escherichia coli occurred at a reduced rate after an adjustment period. The inhibition of ribosome function by chloramphenicol within growing cells was inferred from measurements of growth rate and cell composition during balanced growth and of pulse-labeling of cells by radioactive proline after a 10-min exposure to chloramphenicol. In each case the results were consistent with simple noncompetitive inhibition of protein synthesis, with 50% inhibition occurring at 2 microM chloramphenicol, the concentration that gave 50% binding of chloramphenicol to purified ribosomes in vitro. The differences between these results and those obtained with cell-free protein synthesizing systems were shown to be in part due to slow binding of chloramphenicol and in part due to the slow rate and lack of saturation of the cell-free protein-synthesizing systems now available. During balanced growth in concentrations of chloramphenicol 1 microM or higher, the net rate of maturation of ribosomal ribonucleic acid was also inhibited (50% at 2.8 microM). The specific growth rate during balanced growth was inhibited by 50% at 1.8 microM chloramphenicol, but at higher concentrations inhibition was greater than expected from the simple noncompetitive dose-response observed for inhibition of polypeptide synthesis. However, the inhibition of maturation of ribosomal ribonucleic acid plus the inhibition of protein synthesis quantitatively accounted for the observed inhibition of growth. Thus, we have presented for the first time an essentially complete account of the effects of partially inhibitory concentrations of an antibiotic on the growth physiology of a bacterium.

Chloramphenicol releases a block in initiation of chromosome replication in a dnaA strain of Escherichia coli K12

DNA-DNA hybridisation experiments show that chloramphenicol induces a burst of initiation from the oriC region of a dnaA46 mutant of Escherichia coli at 36.5 degrees C but not from the isogenic dnaA+ strain. Following this stimulation of initiation is in parallel with the induced stimulation of RNA synthesis caused by chloramphenicol in the same strain. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the stimulation of initiation in the dnaA mutant is the result of the stimulation of the synthesis of an RNA species.

Synthesis and activity of ribonucleic acid polymerase in Escherichia coli

The amounts of ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase (beta' subunits) and ribosomes (RNA), and the fraction of RNA polymerase actively engaged in transcription, were measured in Escherichia coli B/r as a function of growth rate. By an improved method of quantitating protein bands on electrophoresis gels, the systematic error and reproducibility of the RNA polymerase determination were estimated to be less than 15 and 6%, respectively. For a threefold increase in growth rate, the fractional synthesis of polymerase (relative to protein) increased 1.5-fold, whereas the fractional synthesis of ribosomal protein increased 2.2-fold. The decrease in the amount of RNA polymerase per ribosome with increasing growth rate is interpreted as an expression of the control of the transcriptional read-through from the genes for ribosomal protein, rplJ,L, to the adjacent genes for RNA polymerase subunits, rpoB,C. The number of active RNA polymerase molecules was determined from the synthesis rates of stable and messenger RNA and the known RNA chain growth rates. Comparison of active and total RNA polymerase indicates that the fraction of active enzyme increases from 20 to 30% in the range of growth rates between 0.6 and 2.0 doublings per hour. Possible causes for the inactive enzyme are discussed.

Effect of blocking protein synthesis at nonpermissive temperatures on temperature-sensitive deoxyribonucleic acid mutants of Escherichia coli

When protein synthesis was blocked in temperature-sensitive deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis mutants of Escherichia coli at nonpermissive temperatures, it reduced the amount of apparent subsequent chain elongation to approximately half that observed in the mutants either at nonpermissive temperatures alone or when protein synthesis was blocked at the permissive temperature. Blocking protein synthesis at the nonpermissive temperatures for periods of 40 min caused the loss of ability to reinitiate deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis at the permissive temperature.