Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published February 1972 | Published
Journal Article Open

Use of Miracil D to Suppress Bacterial Ribonucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis During Bacteriophage MS2 Infection

Abstract

Under certain culture conditions, Miracil (35 μg/ml) halts the growth of uninfected Escherichia coli. Cellular ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis is almost completely suppressed, whereas deoxyribonucleic acid and protein synthesis are inhibited to a lesser extent. When the drug is added to host bacteria prior to infection with bacteriophage MS2, the phage adsorb to the cells, but penetration of the viral RNA is inhibited. Penetration may be achieved without further viral development by infection in the presence of chloramphenicol. If the bacteria are infected with MS2 in the presence of chloramphenicol, subsequently washed to remove the chloramphenicol, and then treated with Miracil at any time between 0 and 20 min postinfection, a second viral function is inhibited and the yield of progeny phage is reduced. Addition of the drug after 20 min postinfection does not inhibit the infection process. When Miracil is present from early times in infection, only a limited synthesis of both double- and single-stranded virus-specific RNA is observed. The viral RNA species thus produced do not appear to differ from those made in the absence of the drug. A comparison of the activities of the viral RNA synthetase produced during the course of infection in the presence and in the absence of Miracil suggests that a possible cause of the inhibition is the synthesis of an unstable enzyme in the presence of the drug.

Additional Information

© 1972 by the American Society for Microbiology. Received for publication 13 September 1971 The authors acknowledge helpful discussions with Ellen Strauss concerning this manuscript. This investigation is part of a thesis presented to Northwestern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. One of us (J. H. C.) gratefully acknowledges the support of Public Health Service predoctoral fellowships 5 T GM 31,838 and 5 Ti GM 86-11 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This research was supported by Public Health Service grant no. GM13554 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Attached Files

Published - CRAjvir72.pdf

Files

CRAjvir72.pdf
Files (1.7 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:e37dc6fe05dd0a97a6c948b62ca96061
1.7 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023