title: Determination of the total rates of synthesis and degradation of RNA in a bacterial culture.
abstract: A radioactive method for determining the total rates of synthesis and degradation of RNA in a bacterial culture has been developed. The rates (which are expressed as moles of AMP residue transferred per unit DNA per unit time) are calculated from the amount of radioactivity accumulated in the RNA pool by taking into account (i) the increasing specific activities of a precursor triphosphate and RNA, (ii) the withdrawal of radioactivity from the RNA pool by degradation, and (iii) the increasing DNA content of the culture. The method is applicable not only to "balanced" accumulation where DNA and RNA accumulate in a constant proportion, but also to "unbalanced" accumulation. Examples illustrating the application of this method are described.
mesh_terms: D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007532:Isoleucine / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014633:Valine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D007532:Isoleucine; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D014633:Valine