Visualization of bacterial genes in action.

The morphology of active structural and putative ribosomal RNA genes was observed by electron microscopy after lysis of fragile Escherichia coli cells. Conclusions drawn are: most of the chromosome is not genetically active at any one instant; translation is completely coupled with transcription; the 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA cistrons occur in tandem, in regions which are widely spaced on the chromosome.