This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Watanabe, H. Articles by Watanabe, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Watanabe, H. Articles by Watanabe, M.

Effect of Infection with Ribonucleic Acid Bacteriophage R23 on the Inducible Synthesis of ß-Galactosidase in Escherichia coli

Department of Medicine and Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT

Infection by ribonucleic acid (RNA) bacteriophage R23 inhibited the synthesis of ß-galactosidase in Escherichia coli. The inhibition, although not complete, was apparent shortly after infection and was maximal after the first 20 min of infection. R23 diminished the ß-galactosidase-synthesizing capacity when inducer was added after phage infection, but not when infection followed inducer removal. These findings suggested that the primary effect of R23 on enzyme-forming capacity was limitation of synthesis of enzyme-specific messenger RNA. Studies with ultraviolet irradiated phage and amber mutants of R23 indicated that the inhibitory process could be separated into two phases. Early inhibition did not require the expression of the viral genome, whereas late inhibition required the expression of the viral RNA synthetase cistron.