Natural messenger ribonucleic acid-directed cell-free protein-synthesizing system of Bacillus subtilis.

A very active in vitro protein-synthesizing system has been developed from Bacillus subtilis. High activity in the extracts is dependent upon precautions taken to reduce proteolytic activity. Endogenous, exogenous natural and synthetic messenger ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are translated by the system. The activity of the B. subtilis system has been compared to that of the Escherichia coli system. With either SPO1 RNA or polyuridylic acid, the activities of the two systems were very similar. Electrophoresis of the products synthesized in vitro by the two systems primed with SPO1 RNA yields similar radioactive profiles. The major bands of radioactivity correspond to proteins of molecular weight between 15,000 and 40,000.