The inhibition of ribonucleic acid synthesis by the thiol-oxidizing agent, diamide, in Escherichia coli.

The thiol-oxidizing agent, diamide, has been used to convert glutathione to glutathione disulfide within the cells of a stringent strain of Escherichia coli (CP 78), leading to a cessation of 14C-leucine incorporation (protein synthesis) and 3H-uracil incorporation (RNA synthesis). Parallel experiments with an isogenic relaxed strain (CP 79) gave similar results, providing evidence that glutathione is closely linked to RNA synthesis indepently of the link previously shown to protein synthesis.