Abstract
Pine, Martin J. (Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, N.Y.). Alcohol-soluble protein of microorganisms. J. Bacteriol. 85: 301–305. 1963.—In two microbial systems, new protein synthesis has been reported to take place at the expense of a disappearing alcohol-soluble protein fraction. Studies were made to characterize the fraction and assess its storage function in Escherichia coli . Synthesis of the fraction does not cease promptly on sulfur depletion but overshoots initially and maintains a preferential rate of turnover. The fraction is probably of heterogeneous composition. It does not disappear during starvation but interacts with acid-insoluble metaphosphate accumulating in high levels as a peculiar consequence of sulfur deficiency. Solubility interactions with proteins of cell extracts are demonstrable with a number of polyanions, including teichoic acid. It is concluded that previous studies of transformations of microbial alcohol-soluble proteins are artifactitious.