THE SYNTHESIS OF RIBOSOMES BY A MUTANT OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

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Abstract
When the methionine-requiring mutant 58[long dash]161 of E. coli was starved of methionine, ribonucleic acid (RNA) was made in the absence of protein synthesis. Most of this RNA was similar to that in ribosomes but was contained in particles differing from ribosomes both in sedimentation coefficient and in chromatographic behavior or diethylaminoethylcellulose. When methionine was added to a starved culture, the RNA synthesized during starvation was almost completely undegraded as growth resumed. A transient loss of 5-10% could be largely attributed to breakdown of messenger RNA accumulated during starvation. After the addition of methionine, ribosomes were formed from the particles, and preferential synthesis of ribosomal protein took place during this period. The direct synthesis of ribosomes from the particles may occur under these conditions.

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