Regulation of the intracellular concentration of T4 induced tRNA.

We have studied the biosynthesis of T4 induced tRNA's upon infection of E. coli BE cells in low phosphate (l.p.) medium (10(-4) M PO---4). Under out experimental conditions the onset of phage DNA synthesis occurs about 15 min after infection, while the first intracellular phage appears one hour later. Amounts of newly synthesized DNA and phage burst size are equivalent to the values obtained in standard (M9) medium (10(-1) M PO---4). We present evidence that the synthesis of mature tRNA's and of at least one dimeric precursor drastically declines 20 min after infection. In addition we show that T4 induced tRNA molecules are stable and that the triphosphate nucleoside precursor pool does not change significantly during infection. Therefore we conclude that T4 induce tRNA molecules behave similarly to other early gene products.