Autonomy of Protein Synthesis in Mutant Staphylococci with Impaired Respiration

Abstract

ACCORDING to present concepts about the mechanism of protein synthesis, the ribosomes act as non-specialized structures which synthesize the protein dictated by the transient attachment to the ribosome of a short-lived ‘messenger RNA’¹. It has been observed recently that the synthesis of messenger RNA in the bacterial cell is selectively inhibited by the actinomycins². This specific mechanism of action of actinomycins gives a unique opportunity for analysis of the effects of blocking the synthesis of messenger RNA in the cell on the synthesis of proteins in the ribosomes. These effects can be comparatively investigated in normal Staphylococci, as well as in mutant Staphylococci with impaired respiration, which have been examined in some detail as a possible microbial model for cancer cells³.