Summary
When N. crassa is starved for phosphate the rate of synthesis of total RNA, as measured by the incorporation of uridine, rapidly dclines, attaining a value of 2% of the control after 4 h. Synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), measured by direct hybridization to ribosomal DNA covalently coupled to diazobenzyloxymethyl (DBM) paper, also declines to a value 3%–4% that of the control after 4 h of phosphate starvation. Measurement of rRNA synthesis in regulatory mutant strains expressing “phosphorus-family” enzymes indicates that two of these mutant strains, pgov c12 and nuc-1, respond differently to phosphate starvation from the response in wild-type or the other five mutant strains. The results suggest that the wild-type products of the regulatory loci, pgov + and nuc-1 + may have a role in regulating rRNA synthesis as well as “phosphorus family” enzymes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberghina L, Sturani E (1981) Control of growth and of the nuclear division cycle in Neurospora crassa. Micribiol Rev 45:99–122
Beadle GW, Tatum EL (1945) Neurospora II. Methods of producing and detecting mutations concerned with nutritional requirements. Am J Bot 32:678–686
Bray GA (1960) A simple efficient liquid scintillator for counting aqueous solutions in a liquid scintillation counter. Anal Biochem 1:279–285
Clewell DB, Helinski DR (1969) Supercoiled circular DNA-protein complexes in E. coli. Purification and induced conversion to an open circular form. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 62:1159–1166
Free SJ, Rice PW, Metzenberg RL (1979) Arrangement of the genes coding for rRNA in Neurospora crassa. J Bacteriol 137:1219–1226
Gausing K (1977) Regulation of ribosome production in E. coli: Synthesis and stability of rRNA and ribosomal protein mRNA at different growth rates. J Mol Biol 115:335–354
Haseltine WA, Block R, Gilbert W, Weber K (1972) MSI and MSII made on ribosome in idling step of protein synthesis. Nature 238:381–384
Horiuchi T, Horiuchi S, Mizuno D (1959) Degradation of RNA in Escherichia coli in phosphorus-deficient culture. Biochim Biophys Acta 31:570–572
Kudrna R, Edlin G (1975) Nucleotide pools and the regulation of RNA synthesis in yeast. J Bacteriol 121:740–742
Lazzarini RA, Dahlberg AE (1971) The control of RNA synthesis during amino acid deprivation in escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 246:420–429
Lazzarini RA, Nakata K, Winslow RM (1969) Coordinate control of RNA synthesis during uracil deprivation. J Biol Chem 244:3092–3100
Maaloe O, Kjeldgaard NO (1966) Control of macromolecular synthesis, Benjamin, New York
Maher D, Dennis PP (1977) In vivo transcription of E. coli genes coding for rRNA, ribosomal proteins and subunits of RNA polymerase: influence of the stringent control system. Mol Gen Genet 155:203–211
Metzenberg RL (1979) Implications of some genetic control mechanisms in Neurospora. Microbiol Rev 43:361–383
Natori S, Nozawa R, Mizuno D (1966) The turnover of rRNA of Escherichia coli in a magnesium deficient stage. Biochim Biophys Acta 114:245–253
Nierlich DP (1972) Regulation of RNA synthesis in growing bacterial cells. I. Control over the total rate of RNA synthesis. J Mol Biol 72:751–764
Peacock AC, Dingman CW (1968) Molecular weight estimation and separation of RNA by electrophoresis in agarose and acrylamide composite gels. Biochemistry 7:668–674
Ryals J, Little R, Bremer H (1982) Control of rRNA and tRNA synthesis in Escherichia coli by guanosine tetraphosphate. J Bacteriol 151:1261–1268
Stellwag EJ, Dahlberg AE (1980) Electrophoretic transfer of DNA, RNA and protein onto diazobenzyloxymethyl(DBM)-paper. Nucl Acids Res 6:299–317
Stellwag EJ, Paszewski A, Metzenberg RL (1982) Changes in pools of acid-soluble phosphorus compounds induced by phosphorus starvation in Neurospora. Mol Gen Genet 186:355–363
Tanaka T, Weisblum B (1975) Construction of a colicin E1-R factor composite plasmid in vitro: means for amplification of deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 121:354–362
VanOoyen AJ, DeBoer HA, Ab G, Gruber M (1975) Specific inhibition of rRNA synthesis in vitro by ppGpp. Nature 254:530–531
Winslow RM, Lazzarini RA (1969a) The rates of synthesis and chain elongation of RNA in E. coli. J Biol Chem 244:1128–1137
Winslow RM, Lazzarini RA (1969b) Amino acid regulation of the rates of synthesis and chain elongation of RNA in E. coli. J Biol Chem 244:3387–3392
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by G.A. O'Donovan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stellwag, E.J., Metzenberg, R.L. Ribosomal RNA synthesis during phosphorus starvation in wild type Neurospora and in phosphorus regulatory mutants. Molec. Gen. Genet. 194, 105–110 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383504
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383504