Intracellular distribution of 3H-dihydrostreptomycin in a streptomycin-dependent strain of Bacillus megaterium.

The cells of a streptomycin-dependent strain of Bacillus megaterium took up only 2 to 5% of the dihydrostreptomycin present in the medium when grown in the minimum concentration of streptomycin required for growth. During growth in the presence of (3)H-dihydrostreptomycin, radioactivity was accumulated intracellularly in three forms, namely, unbound, loosely bound to the ribosomes (removable by dialysis), and tightly bound to the ribosomes (retained after prolonged dialysis). More radioactivity for a given amount of ribonucleic acid was bound by ribosomes attached to the cell membrane than by supernatant ribosomes. Of the nondialyzable radioactivity associated with isolated ribonucleic acid, 40 to 60% was solubilized by treatment with ribonuclease or by dilute alkaline hydrolysis.