Effects of growth conditions and mutations in RNA polymerase on translational activity in vitro in Escherichia coli

• The translational capacity in vitro in Escherichia coli, using RNA from phage R17 or Q beta as messenger, is several times higher if the extracts are prepared from cells harvested in early exponential phase or grown under conditions of good aeration compared to if extracts are prepared from cells harvested in a later growth phase or grown under semi-aerobic conditions. In low activity extracts the production of phage replicase protein is preferentially affected. Growth of a wild type strain under semi-aerobic conditions has a less pronounced effect on translational capacity in vitro using crude mRNA from normal or T4 infected cells or with poly(U). Mutants were fortuitously found which did not show a lowered translational activity in vitro as a result of entering late phase of growth. Two of these were changed in RNA polymerase. Two different translational inhibitors can be demonstrated in the ribosomal wash fraction obtained from semi-aerobically grown wild type cells, whereas only one was found in the case of aerobically grown cells. The low translational activity of semi-aerobically grown cells in vitro is implied to be dependent on the induction or activation of a translational inhibitor. It behaves like a protein but is not likely to be a protease or RNAse.

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