Abstract
IN bacteria, the syntheses of protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are normally closely linked but, under certain conditions, protein synthesis may be slowed down or stopped relative to the synthesis of RNA, so that RNA accumulates within the cells. With Escherichia coli this may be achieved by incubation of cells with chloramphenicol1 or puromycin2 and also when a certain methionine-requiring mutant strain is starved of this amino-acid3. It has been shown that in each of these cases4–6 at least a part of the accumulated RNA appears in the cells in the form of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles which sediment more slowly than ribosomes, at about 14–18S. It has been suggested6 that although these particles have some of the properties claimed for ‘messenger’ RNA7, they are more likely to be related to precursors of the ribosomes.
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TURNOCK, G., WILD, D. Accumulation of Ribonucleic Acid in Escherichia coli due to the Action of 5-Methyl Tryptophan. Nature 197, 597–598 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/197597a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/197597a0
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