The effect of NNMG on the template activities of different polynucleotides (polyuridylic acid, polycytidylic acid, polyadenylic acid and copolymer of adenylic and guanylic acid 5,5:1) and t-RNS was studied. The maximum inhibition of the messenger activity was found for poly-C, followed by poly-Α and poly-U. The acceptor activity of t-RNA was found to be inhibited by NNMG: maximum for proline, followed by serine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine. The mechanism of these inhibitions was studied using NNMG radioactively labelled on the methyl group. Different amounts of radioactivity were found in the various polynucleotides and t-RNS.
It is possible to determine the anomeric configuration of nucleosides by a simple, spectrophotometric assay, using the nucleoside phosphorylase activity of cell-free extracts from E. coli. β-nucleo-sides are split, a-anomers remain unchanged. For a single estimation 20-40 µg of nucleoside are required. 6-Azauracil- and 8-azaguanine-β-ᴅ-riboside and some nucleoside phosphates are resistant, a fact, which is of interest in view of the specificity of nucleoside phosphorylases.
The trifluoroacetylation of thymidine at room temperature was performed using trifluoroacetic acid phenylester in pyridine. A selective protection of the 5′-position was not possible: Even low molar quantities of the trifluoroacetylating agent gave rise to bis-trifluoroacetylation. The bis-trifluoroacetyl derivatives of thymidine and 5-bromo-deoxyuridine were purified by vacuum sublimation. The completely trifluoroacetylated deoxyribosides of uracil, 5-iodouracil and adenine underwent decomposition during sublimation.
Following treatment with the β-galactosidase inducer [methyl-3H] -thiogalactoside, an induceracceptor-complex was isolated from extracts of E. coli K 12 using DEAE cellulose chromatography. Enzymatic digestion with trypsin suggested that the inducer was bound to a protein component.
Specific radioactive peaks demonstrated acceptor activity in the inducible strains E. coli K 12 and ML 3, but different results were obtained using the non-inducible mutants ML 35, ML 308 and ML 309.
The potent inhibitor of TMG-induction, o-nitrophenylfucoside, reduced the radioactive acceptor peak and caused a similar inhibition of β-galactosidase synthesis, p-nitrophenylfucoside was ineffective.
Further evidence is presented for the in vitro formation of an inducer-acceptor-complex in cell free extracts of E. coli K 12.
Methylthio-β.ᴅ-galaktosid wird in E. coli K 12, sowie in den Mutanten ML 3 und ML 308 in vivo zu einem geringen Teil in einen Phosphorsäureester, wahrscheinlich das 6-Phosphat (TMG-P) umgewandelt. TMG-P wird von E. coli K 12 aufgenommen, wirkt jedoch nicht als Induktor des Lactose-Operons. Zellfreie Extrakte aus E. coli K 12 geben die gleiche Reaktion, wobei die in vitro-Reaktion durch anorganisches Phosphat und Phosphoenolpyruvat stimuliert wird.