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Nucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis in Reconstituted Lyophilized Escherichia coli Exposed to Air
Author(s) -
Novick O.,
Israeli E.,
Kohn A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1972.tb03689.x
Subject(s) - bacteria , nucleic acid , escherichia coli , protein biosynthesis , distilled water , dna , dna synthesis , rna , chemistry , thymidine , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , chromatography , genetics , gene
S ummary :Escherichia coli strain BT ‐ , freeze dried from distilled water, loses viability by exposure to air in the dry state, and decay curves of such bacteria were determined. The amounts of tritiated thymidine incorporated in the DNA of such ‘dead’, rehydrated bacteria are compatible with an assumption that the synthesis of DNA proceeds till the completion of its replication cycle, but not beyond. Induction of β‐galactosidase served as an indicator of RNA and protein synthesis in the dead bacteria. Such induction occurred after a short lag after which it proceeded at a rate similar to that observed in lyophilized, untreated bacteria. The loss of viability of these bacteria cannot be accounted for by defects in the production of DNA or RNA and protein synthesis; it is most probably due to damage to the DNA initiation point.