FIGURE 3.

RNA decay in individual E. coli cells. DH5αPRO cells induced with 1 μg/ml aTc. Transcription was blocked with the addition of rifampicin at various time points after induction. Decay of RNA concentration in a single cell exposed to 500 μg/ml of rifampicin at 30 min after induction (•). Exponential fit with a decay constant of 0.22 min⁻¹ (solid line). Error bars represent uncertainties in the fit parameters of the associated autocorrelation functions (Methods). (Inset) RNA degradation rate as a function of time from eight cells (dashed line; average degradation rate, 0.26 min⁻¹). Error bars represent fitting uncertainties in the decay constant.