NUCLEIC ACID METABOLISM AND RIBONUCLEIC ACID HETEROGENEITY IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1959 · Journal of Bacteriology (U.S.)

OSTI ID:4264200

Countryman, J L; Volkin, E

Nucleic acid synthesis in normal broth-grown cultures of Escherichia coli strain B is characterized by a rapid increase in the ribonucleic acid- deoxyribonucleic acid (RNA: DNA) ratio during the lag phase: this becomes constant in the logarithmic phase and declines in the stationary phase when RNA synthesis comes to in halt. P/sup 32/ incorporated into RNA and DNA phosphorus at any culture age, but to relative extents consistent with the corresponding synthetic activity of the cells. No RNA or DNA turnover could be demostrated.. As with RNA from T2-infected bacteria, normal bacterial RNA appears to be heterogeaeous in that ribonucleic acids dissimilar in specific activity are isolated when cells briefly exposed to P/sup 32/ are disrupted and separated into two particulate fractions (P/sub 1/ and P/sub 2/) and a soluble fraction (S). RNA in the P/sub 1/ fraction constitutes less than 5 per cent of the total RNA, but attains the highest specific activity: RNA in the soluble fraction is intermediate. When the isotope is removed after a short incorporation by cells in the logarithmic phase, there is an immediate and contiuning drop in the specific activity of P/sub 1/-RNA, but the specific activities of the RNA of P/ sub 2/ and the soluble fraction continue to rise for at least another 5 min before declining. After P/sup 32/ incorporation, the RNA mononucleotides in the P/sub 1/, P/sub 2/, and soluble fractions from normal bacteria are uniformly labeled. On the contrary, in each fraction obtained from T2infected cells, adenylic and uridylic acids contain almost twice as much isotope as cytidylic and guanylic acids. However, the nononucleotide composition of each RNA fraction from T2-infected cells is the same as that of thc fractions from normal bacteria. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-017703
• OSTI ID: 4264200
• Journal Information: Journal of Bacteriology (U.S.), Journal Name: Journal of Bacteriology (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 78; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BACTERIA
BACTERIOPHAGES
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CYTIDYLIC ACID
CYTOLOGY
DNA
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GUANYLIC ACID
HETEROCYCLICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS 32
PROTEINS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
RIBONUCLEIC ACID
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUBILITY
URIDYLIC ACID
VARIATIONS