Open AccessMedia dependence of translational mutant phenotype
Author(s) -
Mikkola Riitta,
Kurland C.G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb03189.x
Subject(s) - mutant , ribosome , biology , nonsense mutation , phenotype , genetics , ribosomal protein , mutation , protein biosynthesis , translation (biology) , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , rna , gene , messenger rna , missense mutation
We have measured the growth rates of some ribosomal mutants of Escherichia coli in different growth media. The mutants are a streptomycin resistant (SmR) mutation in rpsL; a partially streptomycin dependent (SmP) mutation in rpsL; a ribosome ambiguity mutant (ram) in rpsD; a ram mutant in rpsE as well as a mutant defective in tRNA modification, mia A. The data show that the growth rates of all mutants are less inhibited in poor media than they are in rich ones. The translation rates and nonsense suppression levels for each mutant are not significantly different in rich and poor media, which shows that the ribosomal mutant phenotypes are maintained under different growth conditions. These results suggest that the degree of growth inhibition for mutants with altered translation machinery is dependent on the growth conditions. In addition, the data suggest that bacteria are able to physiologically compensate for the loss of growth efficiency in such mutants, particularly, under poor growth conditions.