Functional mRNA half-lives in the marine Vibrio sp. S14 during starvation and recovery

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The decay rate of the potential to synthesize proteins after inhibition of transcription with rifampicin (Rif) was analysed at different times of energy and nutrient starvation for the marine Vibrio sp. S14. The decline of protein synthesis following Rif treatment is due to the instability of mRNA and permits an estimate of the functional mRNA half-life. The half-life of the mRNA pool was found to increase 6-fold (from 1 ·7 to 10·3 min) during a period of 24 h of total energy and nutrient starvation. To resolve whether the increase in the mean mRNA half-life was a result of the stabilization of the entire pool or if proteins expressed during starvation were translated from very stable mRNAs, the half-lives of specific mRNAs were measured. It was found that the half-lives of mRNAs common to both growing and starving cells were increased between 2- and 3-fold during a period of 24 h starvation, and that some starvation-specific proteins were encoded by extremely long-lived mRNAs (up to 70 min). The possible role of stabilization of mRNA as a mechanism to economize protein synthesis during starvation conditions is discussed

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