Synthesis of ribonucleotides and their participation in ribonucleic acid synthesis by Coxiella burnetii

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Abstract
Synthesis of RNA by the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of C. burnetii required ATP, UTP, GTP and CTP. Cell-free preparations of this obligate intracellular procaryotic parasite had competence to phosphorylate ribonucleoside mono- and diphosphates in the presence of exogenous ATP and GTP to the corresponding di- and triphosphates. C. burnetii contained about 2 nmol of ATP/mg of protein, which could serve as a .apprx.P [phosphate] donor for in vivo synthesis of nucleoside triphosphates. The latter were then used as substrates in the synthesis of RNA in a coordinated metabolic system with C. burnetii RNA polymerase. During infection the rickettsiae might obtain the nucleotides necessary for RNA synthesis from the vacuoles in which C. burnetti proliferates.