Figure 4. Protein synthesis is inhibited by boron.

(A) Radiogram (left panel) showing incorporation of radioactive methionine into newly synthesized proteins. Coomassie staining of the same gel is shown in the right panel as a loading control. (B) Boron treatment decreases the abundance of polysomes. Wild type cells were grown to logarithmic phase and then treated with 50 and 100 mM of boric acid or left untreated. The cell lysates were analyzed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The absorbance profiles at 254 nm show 40S, 60S, 80S and polysome fractions, as indicated.