Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1962 Nov;84(5):1061–1070. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.5.1061-1070.1962

RIBONUCLEIC ACID IN A “MEMBRANE” FRACTION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AND ITS RELATION TO CELL-WALL SYNTHESIS

Joan C Suit 1
PMCID: PMC278010  PMID: 13979166

Abstract

Suit, Joan C. (The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston). Ribonucleic acid in a “membrane” fraction of Escherichia coli and its relation to cell-wall synthesis. J. Bacteriol. 84:1061–1070. 1962.—A small amount of ribonucleic acid (RNA) was found in a “membrane” fraction prepared from osmotically sensitized Escherichia coli. It exhibited an elevated metabolic activity in that it attained the highest specific activity of any RNA in subcellular fractions of logarithmic-phase cells or spheroplasts prepared from logarithmic-phase cells which had been allowed to incorporate P32 briefly. The metabolic activity of this RNA, in terms of P32 incorporation, was found to be independent of cell-wall synthesis in the diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-less mutant, E. coli W 173-25, but was inhibited by penicillin in both this strain and in E. coli B. The latter effect is considered to be a result of other complex inhibitions of cellular metabolism by the antibiotic. The development of sensitivity to osmotic shock, capability of recovery, and synthesis of macromolecules in penicillin-treated and DAP-starved cultures, under these conditions, is described.

Full text

PDF
1063

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ABRAMS A., McNAMARA P., JOHNSON F. B. Adenosine triphosphatase in isolated bacterial cell membranes. J Biol Chem. 1960 Dec;235:3649–3662. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ABRAMS A., McNAMARA P. Polynucleotide phosphorylase in isolated bacterial cell membranes. J Biol Chem. 1962 Jan;237:170–175. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BROOKES P., CRATHORN A. R., HUNTER G. D. Site of synthesis of the peptide component of the cell wall of Bacillus megaterium. Biochem J. 1959 Nov;73:396–401. doi: 10.1042/bj0730396. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COUNTRYMAN J. L., VOLKIN E. Nucleic acid metabolism and ribonucleic acid heterogeneity in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1959 Jul;78(1):41–48. doi: 10.1128/jb.78.1.41-48.1959. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DAVIS B. D. Biosynthetic interrelations of lysine, diaminopimelic acid, and threonine in mutants of Escherichia coli. Nature. 1952 Mar 29;169(4300):534–536. doi: 10.1038/169534a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GODSON G. N., HUNTER G. D., BUTLER J. A. Cellular components of Bacillus megaterium and their role in protein biosynthesis. Biochem J. 1961 Oct;81:59–68. doi: 10.1042/bj0810059. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GOLDSTEIN A., BROWN B. J. Effect of sonic oscillation upon "old" and "new" nucleic acids in Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1961 Oct 14;53:19–28. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(61)90790-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GROS F., HIATT H., GILBERT W., KURLAND C. G., RISEBROUGH R. W., WATSON J. D. Unstable ribonucleic acid revealed by pulse labelling of Escherichia coli. Nature. 1961 May 13;190:581–585. doi: 10.1038/190581a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HUGO W. B., RUSSELL A. D. Quantitative aspects of penicillin action on Escherichia coli in hypertonic medium. J Bacteriol. 1960 Oct;80:436–440. doi: 10.1128/jb.80.4.436-440.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HUNTER G. D., BROOKES P., CRATHORN A. R., BUTLER J. A. Intermediate reactions in protein synthesis by the isolated cytoplasmic-membrane fraction of Bacillus megaterium. Biochem J. 1959 Oct;73:369–376. doi: 10.1042/bj0730369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HURWITZ C., REINER J. M., LANDAU J. V. Studies in the physiology and biochemistry of penicillin-induced spheroplasts of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1958 Dec;76(6):612–617. doi: 10.1128/jb.76.6.612-617.1958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KOHN A. Lysis of frozen and thawed cells of Escherichia coli by lysozyme and their conversion into spheroplasts. J Bacteriol. 1960 May;79:697–706. doi: 10.1128/jb.79.5.697-706.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LANDMAN O. E., GINOZA H. S. Genetic nature of stable L forms of Salmonella paratyphi. J Bacteriol. 1961 Jun;81:875–886. doi: 10.1128/jb.81.6.875-886.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LEDERBERG J., ST CLAIR J. Protoplasts and L-type growth of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1958 Feb;75(2):143–160. doi: 10.1128/jb.75.2.143-160.1958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lederberg J. BACTERIAL PROTOPLASTS INDUCED BY PENICILLIN. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1956 Sep;42(9):574–577. doi: 10.1073/pnas.42.9.574. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McQUILLEN K. Bacterial protoplasts: effects of diaminopimelic acid deprival and penicillin addition compared in Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1958 Feb;27(2):410–411. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(58)90351-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. PRESTIDGE L. S., PARDEE A. B. Induction of bacterial lysis by penicillin. J Bacteriol. 1957 Jul;74(1):48–59. doi: 10.1128/jb.74.1.48-59.1957. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. VOLKIN E., ASTRACHAN L. Intracellular distribution of labeled ribonucleic acid after phage infection of Escherichia coli. Virology. 1956 Aug;2(4):433–437. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(56)90001-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. VOLKIN E., ASTRACHAN L. Phosphorus incorporation in Escherichia coli ribo-nucleic acid after infection with bacteriophage T2. Virology. 1956 Apr;2(2):149–161. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(56)90016-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES