Effect of Pactamycin on Methylation of RNA and Protein Synthesis

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Abstract
Pactamycin, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, interferes with the methylation of rRNA and tRNA in Bacillus subtilis. Rlbosomal RNA from pactamycin treated cultures accepts about twice the number of methyl groups, and tRNA from treated cells accepts about 4 times the number of methyl groups, compared to the corresponding controls. This is valid for heterologous as well as for homologous systems. The activity of the methylases remains unchanged after treatment of the microorganism with pactamycin. The acceptor activity of methyl-deficient tRNA from pactamycin-treated B. subtilis is decreased for phenylalanine and unchanged for lysine, alanine and valine. Using corresponding polynucleotides as mRNA in the cell-free synthesis of protein the incorporation of amino acids into poly-peptides with methyl deficient tRNA from treated cultures is unchanged for valine, lysine, proline and serine. However with poly UC as template the incorporation of leucine is increased by 30%. The incorporation of phenylalanine with poly U is inhibited by 30% when the methyldeficient tRNA is used.

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