The fate of ribosomes in Escherichia coli cells starved for a carbon source.

The disappearance of ribosomes in Escherichia coli cells starved for a carbon source was studied. We used a series of mutants, some of them lacking in ribonuclease I(RNase I, EC 2.7.7.17), and other containing various combinations of modified polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase, EC 2.7.7.8) and modified ribonuclease II (RNase II, EC 3.1.4.1). RNA was prepared from the starved mutant cells and separated on polyacrylamide gels. The results obtained indicate that 23 S RNA degradation is similar in all strains that lack RNase I, and is slightly increased in the strain that contains this enzyme. The extent of 16 S RNA degradation is identical in all strains tested. RNA species in the size of 4 S and smaller accumulate in mutants containing modified forms of PNPase and RNase II. The appearance of an RNA species 10% smaller than 16 S RNA (d16 S RNA) was observed in all strains that contain unmodified RNase II. Analysis of ribosomes and polysomes and their RNA content indicated that polysomes are converted to monosomes and these, in turn, to ribosomal subunits. No RNA degradation products were found in polysomes, 70 S, OR 50 C particle; 30 S subunits contained 16 S RNA as well as the d16 S RNA species. Subunits are degraded to a similar extent in all strains lacking RNase I, and at a slightly faster rate in the strain that contains RNase I. The RNA to protein ratio in subunits prepared from starved cells is similar to that of unstarved cultures. Very little degradation of ribosomal proteins occurs in these mutants during carbon starvation. The proteins released from degraded ribosomes are found in the fast sedimenting (20,000 times g) pellet. Cell viability studies indicated a direct correlation between the capacity of the mutants to recovery from starvation and their capacity to degrade RNA. Thus a biological necessity for degradation of ribosomes during starvation is implied. Based on these data we propose that the endonucleolytic degradation of ribosomal RNA is the primary event in starvation degradation. It takes place in ribosomal subunits, which fall apart after the endonucleoltic attack. The RNA pieces produced by this cleavage are degraded to nucleotide by RNase II and PNPase. The ribosomal proteins attach to the cell membrane.