Stability and maturation of E. coli ribosomal RNA.

The kinetics of rRNA maturation were investigated in a rifampicin permeable strain of E. coli during exponential growth in glucose minimal medium. The method used involves isotopic labelling of rRNA, and separation of precursor and mature forms by gel electrophoresis. The maturation of both 16s and 23s rRNA was found to follow first order kinetics. The mean life time of the precursors was found to be about 1.5 min. In glucose minimal medium all pulse label in precursors was recovered in mature rRNA, i.e. nascent rRNA is stable.