[Nucleotide composition of RNA, synthesized by polynucleotide phosphorylase, in toluene-treated cells of Escherichia coli]

Abstract

On incubation of cells of E. coli B and MRE 600 (logariphmic phase of growth), treated with toluene in presence of a mixture 14C-nucleoside-5'-diphosphates, Mg2+ or Mn2+ and tris HCl buffer pH 8.0, intracellular synthesis of heteropolyribonucleotide was observed. The synthesis was catalyzed by polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase, E. C. 2.7.7.8). An increase in GDP concentration in the medium distinctly decreased the incorporation of other NDP into the polymer (poly-AGUC). If the ratio of ADP, UDP, CDP, GDP in the medium was 1:1:1:0.2, the composition of nitrogenous bases in the heteropolymer produced reflected completely the NDP concentrations in the incubation mixture. Addition of different amino acids (1-lysine, 1-histidine, glycine, 1-phenylalanine) and their mixtures stimulated poly-AGUC synthesis markedly and caused an appreciable alteration in the nucleotide composition of the poly-AGUC synthesized. This phenomenon resembled the effect of amino acids on the activity of partially purified PNPase and on RNA synthesis, catalized by the enzyme in vitro. These data suggest that in bacterial cell, i. e. in vivo, PNPase synthesizes specific RNA polyribonucleotide sequences, participating in protein synthesis or in its regulation.