Control by cesium and intermediates of the citric acid cycle of extracellular ribonuclease and other enzymes involved in the assimilation of nitrogen.

Synthesis of extracellular ribonuclease is induced in cell cultures of Ustilago sphaerogena that are starved for nitrogen and exposed to the gratuitous inducer, 6-mercaptopurine. Cesium, ammonium, or alkylammonium ion represses ribonuclease induction. Addition of citric-acid cycle intermediates to cesium ionrepressed cultures partially restores the rate of ribonuclease synthesis to the induced level. Enzymes involved in assimilation of nitrogen from different sources are also repressed by cesium ion and derepressed by intermediates from the citric acid cycle.