Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1973 Nov;116(2):648–655. doi: 10.1128/jb.116.2.648-655.1973

Stable Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Stringent (rel+) and Relaxed (rel−) Polyamine Auxotrophs of Escherichia coli K-12

P R Srinivasan 1,2, Delano V Young 1,2, Werner Maas 1,2
PMCID: PMC285429  PMID: 4583245

Abstract

The relationship of polyamines to stable ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis under conditions of amino acid withdrawal or chloramphenicol treatment was examined with the use of a closely related rel+, rel− pair conditionally incapable of synthesizing putrescine. Under conditions of polyamine starvation, the cellular sperimidine level fell to one-third to one-half of the value observed in putrescine-supplemented cultures and putrescine became undetectable; cadaverine was synthesized by both strains, but the relaxed strain, MA 252, accumulated less cadaverine per cell than its stringent twin, MA 254. Upon amino acid withdrawal, the stringent strain remained stringent whether starved of or supplemented with polyamines. Similarly, the relaxed strain was capable of making RNA either with or without polyamine starvation. On the addition of chloramphenicol or upon amino acid withdrawal in the relaxed strain, supplementation with spermidine had no effect on the initial rate of RNA synthesis, although RNA accumulation was greater in the presence of added spermidine. Spermidine added at the conclusion of RNA synthesis prompted additional synthesis, although preincubation with spermidine again had no effect on the initial rate. All forms of stable RNA species were made with polyamine supplementation. The present data appear to rule out the possibility that polyamines are primary causative agents in stimulating RNA synthesis, but rather suggest an indirect or secondary role for spermidine in which the polyamines “stimulate” stable RNA synthesis probably by relieving RNA product inhibition of RNA synthesis.

Full text

PDF
648

Selected References

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

  1. Bachrach U., Weinstein A. Effect of aliphatic polyamines on growth and macromolecular syntheses in bacteria. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Feb;60(2):159–165. doi: 10.1099/00221287-60-2-159. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cohen S. S., Hoffner N., Jansen M., Moore M., Raina A. POLYAMINES, RNA SYNTHESIS, AND STREPTOMYCIN LETHALITY IN A RELAXED MUTANT OF E. coli STRAIN 15 TAU. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Mar;57(3):721–728. doi: 10.1073/pnas.57.3.721. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cohen S. S., Morgan S., Streibel E. The polyamine content of the tRNA of E. coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Oct;64(2):669–676. doi: 10.1073/pnas.64.2.669. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DAVIS B. D., MINGIOLI E. S. Mutants of Escherichia coli requiring methionine or vitamin B12. J Bacteriol. 1950 Jul;60(1):17–28. doi: 10.1128/jb.60.1.17-28.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dion A. S., Cohen S. S. Polyamine stimulation of nucleic acid synthesis in an uninfected and phage-infected polyamine auxotroph of Escherichia coli K12 (arginine-agmatine ureohydrolase-putrescine-spermidine-lysine-cadaverine). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Jan;69(1):213–217. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.1.213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ezekiel D. H., Brockman H. Effect of spermidine treatment on amino acid availability in amino acid-starved Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1968 Feb 14;31(3):541–552. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90426-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FOX C. F., GUMPORT R. I., WEISS S. B. THE ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID. V. THE INTERACTION OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID POLYMERASE WITH NUCLEIC ACIDS. J Biol Chem. 1965 May;240:2101–2109. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FOX C. F., WEISS S. B. ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID. II. PROPERTIES OF THE DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID-PRIMED REACTION WITH MICROCOCCUS LYSODEIKTICUS RIBONUCLEIC ACID POLYMERASE. J Biol Chem. 1964 Jan;239:175–185. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fill N. A functional analysis of the rel gene in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1969 Oct 28;45(2):195–203. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(69)90099-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hirshfield I. N., Rosenfeld H. J., Leifer Z., Maas W. K. Isolation and characterization of a mutant of Escherichia coli blocked in the synthesis of putrescine. J Bacteriol. 1970 Mar;101(3):725–730. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.3.725-730.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KRAKOW J. S. RIBONUCLEIC ACID POLYMERASE OF AZOTOBACTER VINELANDII. III. EFFECT OF POLYAMINES. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1963 Aug 20;72:566–571. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mills J., Dubin D. T. Some effects of spermine on Escherichia coli. Mol Pharmacol. 1966 Jul;2(4):311–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Morris D. R., Jorstad C. M. Isolation of conditionally putrescine-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1970 Mar;101(3):731–737. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.3.731-737.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moruzzi G., Barbiroli B., Caldarera C. M. Polyamines and nucleic acid metabolism in chick embryo. Incorporation of labelled precursors into nucleic acids of subcellular fractions and polyribosomal patterns. Biochem J. 1968 May;107(5):609–613. doi: 10.1042/bj1070609. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Raina A., Cohen S. S. Polyamines and RNA synthesis in a polyauxotrophic strain of E. coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Jun;55(6):1587–1593. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.6.1587. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Raina A., Jansen M., Cohen S. S. Polyamines and the accumulation of ribonucleic acid in some polyauxotrophic strains of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1967 Nov;94(5):1684–1696. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.5.1684-1696.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. TISSIERES A., BOURGEOIS S., GROS F. Inhibition of RNA polymerase by RNA. J Mol Biol. 1963 Jul;7:100–103. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(63)80024-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Young D. V., Srinivasan P. R. Regulation of macromolecular synthesis by putrescine in a conditional Escherichia coli putrescine auxotroph. J Bacteriol. 1972 Oct;112(1):30–39. doi: 10.1128/jb.112.1.30-39.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES