An Escherichia coli K12 mutant carrying altered ribosomal protein (S10)

An Escherichia coli mutant (JE14373) carrying decreased stability of stable RNA species was found to have altered electrophoretic mobility of a 30S ribosomal protein (S10). Recombinants covering str gene (76 min on E. coli linkage map by Bachmann, Low and Taylor, 1976 (ref. 1)) obtained from a cross of CSH64 × JE14373, restored normal S10 protein. The size analysis of RNAs labeled for 15 min with [³H]uridine showed 50 to 60 % decrease of 16S RNA in this mutant strain, but almost no decrease of 23S RNA at 10 or 40 min after addition of rifampicin. On the other hand, no change was observed in the stability of both rRNA pieces in its parental PA3092 strain even at 40 min after addition of rifampicin.