Open AccessReplication of the Single‐Stranded DNA Bacteriophage M 13
Author(s) -
Jaenisch Rudolf,
JACOB Elard,
Hofschneider Peter Hans
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1973.tb02625.x
Subject(s) - messenger rna , transcription (linguistics) , rna , dna , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gel electrophoresis , bacteriophage , escherichia coli , polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis , electrophoresis , dna replication , gene , genetics , biochemistry , enzyme , linguistics , philosophy
Evidence is presented that in M 13 infected Escherichia coli cells five different messenger RNA species can be detected which upon analysis by polyacrylamide‐gel electrophoresis have molecular weights of 1.3 × 10 6 , 8 × 10 5 , 5 × 10 5 , 3 × 10 5 , and 1 × 10 5 , respectively. One of them corresponds to an M‐13‐specific messenger RNA species reported earlier to correspond to one round of transcription on the DNA template. The five RNA species are found early and late after infection though a shift in their relative amounts can be observed. Between them no clearcut precursor relationship exists. Upon examination in dimethylsulfoxide gradients a different size distribution of M 13 mRNA is observed which has an upper limit at a molecular weight of 4–5 × 10 5 and a maximum at 9 × 10 4 . From the results in dimethylsulfoxide gradients which are confirmed by an independent method it may be concluded that by gel electrophoresis aggregates of M 13 mRNA have been examined. The size distribution observed in dimethylsulfoxide gradients leads to the conclusion that M 13 mRNA is synthesized in the form of oligo or monocistronic RNA molecules. No polycistronic M‐13‐specific mRNA corresponding to one round of transcription on the DNA template can be detected. As revealed by a pulse‐chase experiment the half‐life time of M 13 mRNA is unusually long, being of the order to 20 min. This result together with the finding on the M 13 mRNA sizes is discussed under the aspect of the physiology of M 13 infection.